Evermore
by Ice Krystal
Summary: Time is slowly going out of control as Amber and her friends set out to conquer the new Indigo League, with humans and Pokemon once more united in the future after the war. But with time collapsing and a nefarious new Team Rocket with ties to the Government running around, their journey is not about to be easy. Sequel to the Forever Trilogy and Forever and Ever.
1. 1: Taking Charge With Charmander

**Welcome, everyone, to the highly awaited sequel to the Forever Trilogy (Nevermore, Furthermore, and Forevermore)! You don't necessarily have to read the Trilogy to understand this, though you might be confused about the war and all the kids' parents.**

**Another thing: Amber, the main focus of this story, has a really bad potty mouth. If I took that away from her, her whole character would change. So I have censored her swearing myself to keep this rated T. You'll see what I mean once you get to it.**

**This will be much more futuristic than Nevermore and Furthermore, and if you've noticed, Forevermore's been getting some advanced tech lately too. You'll see what I mean as you read.**

**This is going to be a lot more like PokeSpe. I'm titling the chapters like in the Kanto chapters, and I think the Johto chapters (not sure about the latter) with a species of a Pokemon in it. However, if I can't come up with anything, it will just be VS. (insert Pokemon species).**

**That's enough of my rambling. Enjoy the first chapter!**

**Note: Edited**

* * *

><p><strong><span>EVERMORE<span>**

**~Sequel Of The Forever Trilogy~**

**Chapter 1**

**Taking Charge With Charmander!**

_Seventeen years ago, the anti-pokemon government was overthrown by none other than the children of the Pokedex holders. Humans and pokemon were once again united. However, even with the aid of Unova, it took a whole decade for the Indigo League to be restored. Only the Kanto side of the League was restarted. It, along with the Unova League, were the only Pokemon Leagues. The other regions weren't quite ready yet. The Indigo League was chosen to be the head of the new government._

_As for the heroes of the war... They did their best to cope with all the trauma they had suffered, and moved on. They, along with the professor of the former Resistance, restored Pallet Town to its former glory, and they all moved there to live. One of them became a Gym leader, another a Elite Four member, another a professor. They said goodbye to the ones who had to return to the past, and soon started families of their own. They had high hopes for their children. The future was very bright for the new generation. And this tale is about them, the third generation of Pokedex holders._

_But not all was peaceful across the super-continent of the combined regions. Technology was advancing rapidly, and there was unrest. A syndicate of old was rising up from the ashes to regain its former glory. But it was much different from its original form. It was much more of a threat, connected to the old government. And that was not the only thing that awaited our new heroes... The unrest was from certain individuals who were not pleased with the fall of the Government, who wished things to be back to the way they were before..._

_The legendary pokemon were watching, waiting for history to repeat itself. Time was slowly going out of whack. Dialga was struggling to keep it in control. It would only be a matter of time before children in the past came to join their cousins in their future, and not sent by Celebi... And the cousins weren't the only ones coming._

_Everything was about to change._

* * *

><p><em>Sunday, August 15, 5018.<em>

_(Amber's POV)_

It all started as a normal day for me. I was walking along through Pallet Town, my hometown, when I noticed some kids trying to catch a wild sentret. You think I would think seeing a pokemon normally native to Johto would freak me out, but no. Pokemon had been mixing in all the regions for centuries. We even had some pokemon from Unova here! Anyways, they were doing it all wrong! Arceus, did kids ever learn? It looked like I'd have to teach them the right way again.

"Hey, Amber!" one of them greeted me as I reached them. "Could you, um, help us again?"

"Sure," I said. "Okay, watch! This is how it's done, kids!"

I took out my only poke ball—it belonged to my partner and best friend, my pikachu, Juno. Normally I had her out of her poke ball, but today she had been sleepy so I had kept her inside. Now as I looked at her through the red lid, she looked eager for some action. I didn't blame her; nothing exciting ever happened in Pallet Town. I tossed the poke ball, releasing the electric mouse.

"You gotta weaken the pokemon first!" I told them. "Juno, use Thunder Shock!"

She didn't move from her spot, just letting lose a weak electric shock, which, to much of my f***ing surprise, fried the poor little sentret. It was a f***ing one hit KO. Jeez, I hadn't thought Juno's Thunder Shock was that strong. I'd have to be careful from now on.

"Now you throw a poke ball!" I exclaimed.

One of the kids did so, and the device bounced off of the sentret's head, capturing it. They all cheered, looking super excited.

"Thanks so much, Amber!"

"Yeah, whatever," I said, waving them off. "It's my job. Don't forget to treat the pokemon nicely!"

"We will, Amber!"

Well, I might as well introduce myself. The name's Amber, Amber Rosso-Senri. I was thirteen years old—I just turned that a few days ago. I had a f***ing prissy twin brother named Corundum, or Cory as he liked to be called for short. I also had a ten year old little sister, Lapis Lazuli—just call her Lazuli, she'd kill you if you called her by her full name—and six year old little twin brothers, Blaze and Bolt. My parents were awesome—they were veterans from the War that ended only seventeen years ago. They were badasses—my mom was a general, my dad a commander. Now my mom was the Gym Leader of Viridian City, and my dad was the chairman of the Contest Society. My family's awesome, I'll tell you!

"Hey, Amb!"

I paused in my stroll to see my best friend and cousin, Opal Kimu, glide up to me on her purple scooter. Opal was two years older than me, making her fifteen. She had dark brown hair that can almost pass as black that she wore in pigtails that slanted up at an angle, and blue eyes. Her baseball cap looked like a ultra ball, and she always wore it backwards. She was wearing a modest v neck purple shirt, and black gym shorts, along with her favorite pair of red sneakers. Her red goggles were on top of her hat, along with her aipom, Pomee.

"Hey!" I greeted her as she halted her scooter in front of me. "What's up?"

"We should go see Professor Pine," she said. "I mean, we're teenagers, and we haven't even challenged a single Gym! I want to see if the Professor will give us starters."

Ugh, I thought of that all the time, but my parents were so f***ing busy, and I had to watch the twins half the time, and I was constantly harassed by my millions of perverted cousins who needed to get lives, I was trying to get my brother to admit he liked a girl, and I HAD TO BECOME A POKEMON MASTER! THERE WERE SO MANY THINGS I HAD TO DO, ARGH!

"Then let's f***ing go already!" I exclaimed eagerly, grinning up at her. "C'mon, we don't have f***ing all day! Hurry up!"

I set down my skateboard—yeah, I had a skateboard, and it's f***ing awesome. I was really good at it, too; that was one thing Opal and I did together. I just got this new skateboard as a birthday present; on the bottom it has a f***ing badass charizard with flames around it. Anyways, I got on the board and glided my way towards the Professor's lab. Opal sighed, and hopped on her scooter to chase after me.

I WAS GOING TO BE A F***ING POKEMON MASTER, YEAH!

I was going to wipe the floor with that a**hole Zircon and make him run home to his mommy crying! F**k yeah!

It was really f***ing convenient that Professor Pine's lab was in Pallet Town, where we all lived. Pallet used to be the headquarters of the anti-pokemon government; I heard the old president's castle was here. I guessed they thought it would be funny to have home base here since the first three Pokedex owners were from here, and that was where Professor Oak conducted his research. Pallet had undergone lots of changes since my mom and this other guy who had been away really long and was probably dead destroyed Synis's castle. It looked presentable now.

Opal and I reached the lab together. We both got off at the same time. Juno liked to ride in front of me on the skateboard so she jumped back onto my shoulder. When I turned back around, Opal was staring at the building. I frowned and looked myself. The lab looked deserted. The windows were dark. There were no signs of life at all. It kind of creeped me out, and I didn't scare easy, except for one phobia I had. Where was Professor Pine? He was always in the lab! Cobalt, his assistant, usually was, too. Viola—known to the world as Professor Chrise—and Alizarin were always doing field work for him. What the f**k was going on?

"Let's try the door," said Opal. "Maybe something happened?"

"Yeah, good point," I said, and then I walked up to the front door and tried the knob. It turned, and the door clicked open. That surprised me. Why was it unlocked? The Professor always locked up when he left. Something was going on, that was for sure. I turned around to face Opal, and she nodded. I opened the door all the way, and stepped inside, taking a deep breath, holding the door open for my first cousin.

I was terrified of the dark. That was my one weakness, my phobia.

I almost started hyperventilating; the darkness made the lab really, really f***ing creepy. I would have told Juno to use Flash, but that would alert someone to our presence, and she didn't exactly know the move. I bit my bottom lip, and latched onto Opal's arm to keep myself from flipping out. We had to get out of here fast or I'd go f***ing crazy.

I walked a couple steps deeper, my knees shaking, ready to give out, and then Opal pulled out of my grip, grabbed my arm instead, and yanked me back behind a supply counter.

"What the f-" I began.

"Shhhhh!" she hissed. "I hear voices. _Listen_."

I shut my mouth, biting my tongue to keep silent, freezing in place, which wasn't hard with the hysteria creeping up on me. I listened carefully, and soon heard what Opal must have been hearing.

"Hurry up! I swear to Arceus I heard the door open!"

"Shut up! You're just f***ing paranoid. I heard nuttin'. Relax. This job's a piece 'o f***ing cake!"

"Just hurry up! Isn't that enough pokemon already?"

Anger filled me. Whoever these creeps were, they were stealing the Professor's pokemon! How dare they! Who the hell do they think they were? We couldn't let them do this! Oh, just they wait until I gave them a f***ing piece of my mind! Filthy b*****ds!

"They're stealing the pokemon!" I growled, clenching my hands into fists, forgetting my fear.

"Yeah, I can hear that," Opal said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Let's sic 'em!" She stood up. "C'mon, Pomee!"

She stormed forward, deeper into the lab, her aipom keeping her perch on her head. I rushed after them, both in anger against the creeps and out of fear of the dark. Juno leaped back onto the ground. It was rare for Opal to get angry, unlike me, but when she did, she got just like her mom—loud and violent. By the look on her face, that was the mode she was in.

"Hey, you freaks!" she yelled as she marched up to the thieves. "What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?"

And she only swore when she's angry, unlike me, if you hadn't noticed.

The two creeps were dressed in black, with black ski hats. A giant red 'R' was on their long sleeve shirts. They were stuffing poke balls into a brown burlap sack. They were very startled to see us.

"S-See!" exclaimed the shorter of the two creeps. "I told you the door opened!"

"Shut up, you f***ing idiot!" snapped the other creep.

"BOTH YOU CREEPS SHUT THE HELL UP!" I yelled, my fury exploding. "I have no idea what the f**k you're up to, but I know we're f***ing gonna kick your motherf***ing a**es!"

The two creeps stared at me, obviously startled.

"H-How can a little girl talk like that?" Creep One stuttered.

"I'M NOT A F***ING LITTLE GIRL!" I screamed, clenching my hands into fists.

Okay, I was short. And I had a issue with that. I was like my mom in that way. At least I had more curves than her at this age.

"Who cares?" snapped Creep Two, the serious one, who ignored me. "If you want to stop us, feel free to try!" He took out a poke ball, and then another. His partner did the same. "Go, Ekans! Zubat!"

He released his two pokemon, while his partner fumbled to send out a rattata and a spearow. Sh*t, we were in trouble. A four on four battle!

"Quick, grab one of the poke balls that are left!" said Opal. "Pomee, hang on, use Double Team!"

The perfect distraction! Illusions of Pomee surrounded the creeps' pokemon, freaking them out. I turned to my left, and there rested one single poke ball. I snatched it right as Opal threw her own borrowed poke ball, releasing a _shiny_ totodile. I chucked the poke ball I had, yelling, "GO!"

A charmander appeared in a flash of light. But it wasn't a normal charmander—it was shiny, too. What was with that? Anyway, the charmander blinked sleepily, looking confused.

"Juno, Thunder Shock, now!" I ordered quickly to the pikachu before speaking to the borrowed pokemon. "Hey, Charmander, I really need you to help! These creeps are kidnapping your friends!"

The charmander snapped out of its daze as Juno knocked the spearow out in one hit. It looked at me, a fierce expression on its face.

_"Then let's do this!"_

Oh, I could talk to pokemon. And by the pitch of the charmander's voice, it was male.

"All right!" I exclaimed, grinning. "Juno, Quick Attack! Charmander! Er, use a fire attack!"

Juno blasted forward with some wicked a** speed, slamming into the ekans right as Pomee used Scratch on the zubat. Charmander spit out meager flames in the form of Ember at the same time as Opal's totodile used Water Gun. Both attacks hit the rattata.

The serious creeps cursed loudly. "Ekans, Bite that pikachu! Zubat, Leech Life, now!"

"Ahhh, Rattata! Tackle, quick!" yelled the wussy creep.

That ekans was super fast, and chomped down on Juno before she could even react. The zubat bit the end of Pomee's tail, and began to drain her energy, by sucking her blood, I believe. I swore to Arceus I saw blood dripping down Juno's side.

"No!" I screamed. "You f***ing b*****d! Charmander, use your strongest attack now!"

"You too, Totodile!" said Opal.

The charmander used a move I never expected. He opened his mouth, and a dark blue shock wave came out, knocking out the ekans. The totodile also surprised me—it used Hydro Pump, taking out the zubat. What was with these starters?

"Holy-" I began.

"You rotten brats!" yelled the serious creep as a bleeding Juno finished off the remaining rattata. "You'll regret this! Team Rocket will rise again!"

Team Rocket? What was that?

Anyways, with that, the two creeps fled. I was not ready to let them go, but Opal grabbed my arm and stopped me.

"Let them go, Amber," she said. "Our pokemon aren't in the condition to pursue them, and we can't take the Professor's pokemon without permission."

I looked over to see what she meant. Juno's back was matted with blood. Pomee looked totally drained. I sighed angrily, clenching my hands into fists. Streams of cuss words went through my mind, but I held my tongue for a change.

"Fine. You're right. We should put away-"

"What on earth is going on here?"

We both froze in place. Oh, sh*t. We turned around slowly to see Cobalt Pine, the grandson and assistant of Professor Pine. He was eighteen years old. He was rather tall, and kind of skinny and gangly. He had neatly trimmed brown hair, and dark blue eyes. Today, he was wearing a navy blue long sleeved dress shirt, a black vest, black jeans, and dark blue sneakers. He had a pair of black rimmed glasses glasses. His porygon, named Mecha, was hovering by his shoulder.

"Cobalt!" I exclaimed, suddenly nervous. "It's not what it looks like!"

"Yeah!" said Opal. "These weirdos in black were stealing your pokemon, so we borrowed your totodile and charmander to battle them."

"They f***ing got away, though!" I growled.

"Amber, watch your mouth," Cobalt warned. "Okay, I believe you, don't worry. Thanks a lot. Grandpa would kill me if something happened while he was gone! Man, you guys saved me!"

"Sorry," I muttered. Not.

"Hey, it's nothing," said Opal, waving him off.

Cobalt walked past us, and the two lab pokemon went up to him. He crouched down to examine them.

"Wow, they barely have a scratch on them!" he exclaimed, impressed. "They seem to like you, too... Here, I'll tell you what—come back tomorrow at noon with all your friends. I should have something for you then."

"Really?" I gasped. "Ohh, thanks, Cobalt! Oh, Arceus, I can't f***ing wait!"

"Language!"

"Sorry! C'mon, Opal! Let's go get our pokemon healed!"

And with that, I dashed out of the lab, Juno right behind me.

...

"WHAT?" I screeched.

I was in the living room in my house. My dad just had told me that Pyrite—aka the spawn of the devil—would be staying overnight at our house because his mom had to go down to Twinleaf Town in Sinnoh for some reason. I couldn't stand that f***ing a**hole at all. He drove me f***ing insane, that f***ing pervert. He was a bastard child, too; he didn't know who his dad was. The guy who should be his father was dead. What was his name again? Amethyst or something like that?

"Now, Amber, I know you don't like Pyrite, but at least try to get along with him, okay?" said Dad.

"But why can't Aunt Sapph and Uncle Gold watch him?" I whined. "He's related to them, not us!"

Dad sighed. "Because Diamonda doesn't want his mind warped any more than it already is."

...Well, I guessed that was a legit reason... But that didn't mean I had to like it.

"Oh, fine," I sighed, crossing my arms over my chest. "I'll tolerate him." That meant I wouldn't try to kill him.

Dad smiled, and patted the top of my head. "That's my girl! Well, I sent your brother to go get him. I need to get dinner going!" He headed back into the kitchen.

My dad was such a girl.

I groaned, and plopped myself down on one of the couches. Juno, whose torso was bandaged up, leaped up next to me. My twin little brothers, Blaze and Bolt, were on the floor playing with their pokemon and action figures of the original Pokedex owners.

Blaze and Bolt were six years old, like I already mentioned. They were almost identical—they both had black hair that spiked up behind their floppy bangs. The only difference was that Blaze had red eyes, and Bolt had yellow. Blaze had a growlithe named Arcane, while Bolt had a pichu named Storm.

"I'm Red, I'm Red!" Blaze exclaimed, holding up the action figure.

"I'm Ruby!" said Bolt, holding up another action figure.

I remembered when Juno was a pichu; for the longest time I didn't want her to evolve though she could. Last year I finally took away the Everstone so she could because I wanted to get stronger.

"Aaaambeeeer!"

My younger sister, Lazuli, came bounding down the stairs. She was ten years old, though she was taller than both Corundum and me by several inches. She had messy brown hair that went down to her shoulders, and blue eyes. She was a tomboy, like me, but very much had a soft side, unlike me. She was very impressionable, too, and I was very protective of her because of that. Fluffy, her poochyena, ran up with her.

"Amber, you'll never guess what!" she squealed, jumping up and down.

"What, Laz?" I asked.

"Onyx agreed to train with me and Fluffy!" she exclaimed joyfully, her eyes bright.

Ugh. Lazuli had the biggest crush on Onyx Kuro, the youngest son—and only, haha—of Grey and Fiori. He was the same age as her, and pretty much a genius. But he was really dense and slow when it came to people. He was a good kid, but just annoying and stupid as hell. I had no idea what she saw in that boy.

"That's nice," I said, not really thinking that. "When you goin' out?"

"I-It's not a date!" she stammered, turning bright red, "H-He's just helping me work with Fluffy's weaknesses!"

"Sure," I drawled. "And I'm a hippopotas."

Before she could respond, the front door bursts open, and a obnoxious voice declares out loudly, "Hey, everyone, I'm here!"

"No one gives a d**n, pervert!" I yelled as the spawn of the devil entered with my brother.

"Amber!" I heard my dad yell from the kitchen.

My brother was more appealing, so I'll describe him first. Corundum had prim and proper black hair, and red eyes. He always wore this weird white hat that looked like hair. Today he was wearing a short sleeved red dress shirt, black vest, white tie, and black slacks—he always dressed up fancy shmancy. He was only taller than me by a couple of inches, making him pretty short.

Great, now I had to describe the pervert. Pyrite was rather tall for his age, several inches shy from six feet—he got it from his dad, I heard. He had sloppy black hair with bangs that flop in front of his face, a lot like the Pokedex holder named Gold, and gold eyes. Today he was wearing a red hoodie, white t-shirt, and black gym shorts.

"Hi Cory, hi Pyrite!" Lazuli exclaimed, waving.

"Hey Laz," our brother greeted her. Then to me: "Honestly, Amber, do you have to swear all the time?"

"Hell yeah," I said, smirking. "You got a f***ing problem with that?"

"Amber!" Dad yelled from the kitchen.

"I like staying with you guys," says Pyrite, smiling at me.

"Yeah, well, stay the f**k out of my room or I'll kick your scrawny a** into the middle of next week!" I threatened, poking my finger on his chest.

"Amber Yellow Rosso-Senri, get in here _right this instant_."

Oh, sh*t, he sounded p*ssed.

"Busted," Pyrite said.

"Shut up!" I growled before stalking into the kitchen.

~ . ~ . ~

_(No One's POV)_

It was about time for the Viridian City Pokemon Gym to close for the afternoon. It was the only Gym in the Indigo League to shut down so early, at six pm. And it was the only Gym that barely got any challengers, and had yet to give out a single badge. Topaz Rosso-Senri still loved her job, though.

At thirty-five, our old hero Topaz hadn't changed that much. She still was rather short, standing barely at five-foot two. She wore her hair shorter now—it went down a little past her shoulders. Thanks to her pregnancies, she had more curves. Raiden, her loyal pikachu, was perched on her shoulder.

"Well, that's a wrap for today, Raiden," she said. "Let's go home."

Barely had she turned around when someone called her, using a title she hadn't heard for seventeen years.

"General Rosso-Senri!"

She turned around, startled. One of the former commanders of the Resistance had found her.

"Yes?" she asked, frowning.

"We've got a problem," he said. "I got word from General Kuro that there might be a underground movement of sorts to avenge the Government. I'm not quite sure how valid that is, though it must be somewhat true coming from a ex-General and current Elite Four member."

The frown deepened on her lips. "I see. Thanks for the info. I'll go see him tomorrow with my husband. You should try to contact other veterans just in case they try something."

He nodded. "Will do, General."

~ . ~ . ~

_Monday, August 16, 5018._

_(Amber's POV)_

Today was the day. I was so f***ing excited! I wondered what Cobalt was going to give us. I sure hoped it was a pokemon—I really needed to start my f***ing journey already. I was going to be a Pokemon Master, after all! Even though I got up late, I was so eager.

I took a super quick shower, and threw on my favorite outfit. It consisted of a orange and black cropped tank top—my dad never allowed me to wear it, so I put a black hoodie on over it to sneak out—light blue jean short shorts, knee high red and turquoise striped socks (what? They were my lucky socks), and orange and black sneakers. I pulled my golden blonde hair back into a high ponytail. I didn't care how I look, so I didn't bother to check myself in the mirror.

"C'mon, Juno!" I exclaimed as she leaped onto my shoulder. "We've got a new world to conquer! I'M GONNA BE A POKEMON MASTER!"

_"Yeah!"_ she exclaimed.

I yanked open my bedroom door, and bounded out only to promptly bump into someone and fall on them.

"F******ck!" I yelled. "What the-"

"Agh! What the hell? _Amber_?"

Sh***********t!

I collided with _Pyrite_ of all the people in this house, and now I was on top of him, our faces inches apart. My head was throbbing from the impact, and then realization dawned on me that _his arms were around me_. My temper flared, and I was seeing red.

"PYRITE! YOU F***ING B*****D! WATCH THE F**K WHERE YOU'RE GOING! _GET THE HELL OFF OF ME_!"

"_You're_ on _me_!" he protested right as I was about to punch him, raising his hands up in submission.

"Gah! F**k you!"

I punched him in the face anyway before I pushed myself up off him. As I stood, I kicked him in the ribs. Then I stormed off, very much p***ed off. Juno scampered after me.

"Amb! Wait for me!"

It was only Cory. I relaxed. I stopped to wait for him. Kiki, his skitty, was perched on top of his head. She mewed at me, and I reached up to scratch her behind her ear. Kiki was the daughter of Fiori's skitty, Kitty, I believed. She was a sweet little thing, and loved to cuddle.

"We should wait for Pyrite, too," he told me.

"Hell no! I am so not waiting for the pervert!" I yelled. "He can go to the lab himself, all alone, for all I care!"

"Come on, Amber, didn't Dad tell you to be nice?" he sighed. "Mom asked you to, too."

"I said I'd tolerate him, not be nice."

Corundum sighed, and shook his head at me. "Oh, I give up. Let's just get to the lab or we'll be late."

I picked up my skateboard as we left. I hopped on it and glided along, not going too fast so I wouldn't lose my brother. He was one of the few boys I'd tolerate. Hell, he was one of the few boys I _liked_. All males were scum.

Opal joined us, along with her annoying little brothers, who were triplets. Aurum, Mica, and Xenon Kimu, all thirteen year olds, all dirt bags, all annoying as hell. They were all identical, with sloppy brown hair quite similar to Pyrite's, (who was their cousin, but not mine, if that made any sense; their dads were brothers, and my cousins' mom was my dad's sister) and gold eyes.

Aurum was the worst—he's EXACTLY like Pyrite, maybe even worse. Mica was okay. He was a bit on the quiet side, very intelligent, and got embarrassed really easy. He was also on my Good Guy List. Then there was Xenon, he's pretty cool. He loved battling, and was over all pretty nice. He could get a bit intense at times, but unlike his brother and cousin, he didn't have a single perverted bone in his body. He was on my Good Guy List, too. We were pretty tight.

"Yo, cuzes, what's going on?" Aurum called to us.

"We're all going to Professor Pine's lab, duh!" I snapped. "Hurry up! Get those a**es moving!"

"Woot, are we gonna get pokemon?" Xenon asked eagerly.

"We don't know," said Opal. "How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"LET'S GO!" I yelled. "I'M GONNA BE A POKEMON MASTER!"

"We know, Amb," Cory sighed.

...

We were sitting in front of the lab, waiting for noon to come. Pyrite had joined us, ugh. He was best friends with Aurum, so they both can f*cking harass me. My life was complete now. I could die happy.

"Hey guys! Sorry we took so long!"

I stopped spinning wheelies on my skateboard to see Galena Berlitz-Palmer, and her older brother Bronze, come running up to us. Galena, sometimes called Lena, was the same age as me, thirteen. Bronze was the same age as Opal, at fifteen, making him the oldest. Their parents were Plato and Jade.

Galena had long, bright crimson hair that went down to the small of her back. Her eyes were bright green, and had a mischievous tint to them. She was wearing a bright green tank top, and a dark green pleated skirt. This girl looked older than she is—she had the biggest boobs out of all of us girls. I loved her to death, but she could be too interfering at times.

Bronze was the tallest out of all of us, standing at a whopping six feet. His dark red hair was sticking out haphazardly, and his silver eyes had a playful glint to them. His gray hoodie, green t-shirt, and blue jeans are all wrinkled and messy. This guy had some issues—he had ADHD, and Split Personality Disorder. He was his normal self right now, but when he went to his second self... L-Let's not go there...

"HI GUYS!" yelled Bronze.

"Hey Lena, hey Bronze," my brother greeted them, giving them a friendly smile.

"So why are we here? Professor Pine called our parents," said Galena.

"We don't know yet," said Opal.

"HIYA OPAL!" Bronze yelled, waving.

She winced. "Hey, Bronze."

Bronze then sat himself down on the ground and whipped out a bottle of Mountain Dew, his favorite drink. He was addicted to it and chocolate. Deprive him of those two things... Let's not go there...

"Ugh, you're all here."

I looked over from the siblings to see my arch nemesis—well, one of them. Zircon Oak, son of Cyan (who was pretty cool) and Jewel (who was also pretty cool). This guy, I'll tell you, was a total jack***. He was the most conceited, self-absorbed, cocky b*****d I had ever met. He had spiky brown hair, and reddish brown eyes. He was wearing a blue v neck shirt, and jeans. The guy had a sweet, cute little sis, but somehow her sweetness had not rubbed off on him.

"Shut it, Oak," I growled. "Don't make me sic Juno on you."

He laughed, rolling his eyes at me. "Last time I checked, my scyther beat the crap out of your pathetic pikachu."

I growled, my hands clenching into fists.

"Amber, relax," said Cory, putting his hand on my shoulder. "He's just antagonizing you. Ignore him."

"Fine," I growled. "I'll just kick your a** later!"

Zircon sneered at me. "Bring it."

"Oh, will you two stop fighting? Please?"

I looked around Oak to see the youngest member of our group at twelve years old. Quartz Kuro, the eldest daughter of Uncle Grey and Aunt Fiori. My brother had the biggest crush on her, and I thought she liked him too; they were just both too dense to recognize it. Quartz was a cute little thing, with long brown hair, and pink eyes. She was wearing a long sleeved white shirt, a pink ruffled skirt, and white knee high socks. She was shy and timid, but wanted to be a member of the Elite Four like her dad, who she was really close with, so she was trying to toughen up. She was the sweetest kid I knew.

"But he started it!" I complained.

"So? It's almost noon... Please don't fight..."

I sighed. She was just too cute to say no to. "Fine..."

Her face brightened up. "Thank you!"

Just then the door opened up, revealing Cobalt. "Good, you're all here! Come on in!"

The Kimu triplets pushed their way through first, and then Opal followed them with a sigh. Corundum and I walked in with Quartz, and everyone else followed. The lab was packed, but we all managed to fit in. Professor Pine was waiting for us in the front. I noticed, along with lots of poke balls, there were strange devices resting on the table in front of him.

"Whoa, those are Pokedexes!" Mica exclaimed, his eyes wide. "Those are the new ones you've been working on, right?"

Professor Pine smiled, and nods. "Yes, Mica. You catch on fast."

"YOU WANT US TO GO COMPLETE THE POKEDEXES, DON'T YOU?" I yelled, suddenly excited.

"Ugh, indoor voice, Amb," my brother groaned, rubbing his ears.

"Sorry!" I said hastily.

"And you're correct, Amber," said the Professor with a chuckle. "You're all very bright children."

Oak snorted, and crossed his arms, obviously holding back some rude comment. I glared at him, and he rolled his eyes at me again.

"THIS IS GONNA BE AWESOME!" Bronze yelled, grinning like a idiot.

"You all know what the purpose of the Pokedex is, right?" asked Cobalt.

Opal nodded. "Yeah. You have to travel the world to capture all the pokemon."

Professor Pine nodded. "Correct. So, Opal and Amber, as for being the heroes yesterday, you two have first pick of the starters here."

"Oh, sweet!" I grinned. "Thanks, Professor! I already know who I want. Charmander!"

"And I'd take nobody else but Totodile," said Opal.

"I figured," said Cobalt, smiling. "Here you go!" He handed us the poke balls. "They missed you, actually."

I happily accepted the poke ball, and released my new charmander. Everyone gasped when they see that both pokemon were shiny.

"These starters are all very special," said Professor Pine. "Not only are all of them shiny, but each has a powerful egg move. We're studying if that helps make them stronger. This study is due to my interest in why Topaz's pikachu, Flax's raichu, and all of Synis's pokemon, were so powerful. Was it because they were shiny? That is what I'm studying."

"So, would you like to name them?" asked Cobalt.

"Hell yeah!" I said. "**_Jupiter_!** That's what I'm gonna call you."

"**_Feralee_**," said Opal after some thought.

Because I was in a hurry, I'll just tell you who chooses who and what they name them. Don't forget, they were all shiny.

Cory chose a female mudkip. He named her **_Jojo_**.

Aurum chose a male chikorita, and he named him **_Solaris_**.

Mica chose a male treecko, and _**didn't name him**_.

Xenon chose a male torchic, and named him** _Keno_**.

Pyrite chose a male cyndaquil, and named him **_Ex_**.

Bronze chose a male chimchar, and named him **_Chim_**.

Galena chose a female bulbasaur, and named her **_Ivy_**.

Quartz chose a female oshawott, and named her **_Rose_**.

Zircon chose a male squirtle, and **_didn't name him_**.

After that, we all were handed our Pokedexes. They were basically all the same, except they had our names engraved in them. I thought that was pretty cool, if I say so myself.

"All right!" I exclaimed, pumping my fist into the air. "I can finally become a Pokemon Master! I'm gonna win all the badges, take out the Elite Four, and become the first Champion!"

"If you can beat Mom," said Corundum.

"And if you can beat Daddy," said Quartz.

"Way to dull my thunder, guys!" I groaned.

"Sorry," said Quartz. "But everyone knows my daddy and your mom are the toughest trainers in the world."

"My dad was, Mom tells me," Pyrite sighed. "He even became the Unova Champion, she tells me. Man, I wish I could meet him..."

For the first time in a long time, I felt pity for Pyrite. I could have given him a hug right then and there. I didn't, of course, because he'd probably throw it back in my face later. And I didn't want Oak to have any ammunition against me, either.

"All right, children," said Professor Pine. "You best go meet with your parents to get permission to go on your journeys."

...

"Amber! Where are you going?" my brother called after me as I leave the lab, racing off on my skateboard.

"To go get permission from Mom!" I called back. "See you in Viridian!"

Once I hit Route One, I hopped off my skateboard, took off my hoodie, stuffed it in my bag, and then walked along slowly with my skateboard under my arm. The ground wasn't smooth enough, and besides, I wanted to catch a pokemon.

I released both Juno and Jupiter from their poke balls. I told them to go look around for any wild pokemon. Juno scampered off a little ways, while Jupiter stayed closer to me.

Moments later, I saw rustling in the grass. A purple head stuck out. I recognized the pokemon as a rattata. I grinned. Sure, they weren't the strongest things in the world, but I needed one for the Pokedex. Even so, I wanted to become the Champion with my own favorite pokemon. If they were what people viewed as weaklings, then so be it.

"Go, Jupiter!" I exclaimed, pointing to the wild rattata.

The yellow charmander leaped forward to face the wild pokemon. The rattata grinned, and then leaped out of the grass to face him, too. I took out my Pokedex to find out Jupiter's moves and level, along with his energy.

"Okay, use Ember!" I ordered.

Small crimson flames shot out of his mouth, but the rattata leaped out of the way. He hissed, and slammed into the charmander using Tackle with f***ing wicked speed.

"Scratch!" I command next.

This time the attack hit, slashing the wild rattata hard, sending him flying. The Pokedex told me that took a lot out of it. So I took out a poke ball, and chucked it at the downed rattata. It took the pokemon inside, and rocked back and forth until it signaled a successful capture.

"F**k yeah!" I exclaimed, pumping my fist into the air. "I just caught my first pokemon! Take that, Oak!"

Too bad he wasn't here.

I released the rattata, and then healed him using a potion. Juno bounded back over to join us, and Jupiter moved closer. I looked at my three pokemon. Naming time! The Pokedex told me this guy was male, so what should I name him... Oh, I'd got it!

"Mars!" I declared. "Your name is Mars!"

Mars grinned at me with his big fang. He must have liked his name.

...

Viridian City. It was a pretty big place, mainly due to the fact that it was near the Mount Silver memorial, and Indigo Plateau. People were bustling around everywhere. I couldn't help but be envious of a few boys that were flying around on their hoverboards. I needed to save up for one. THEY WERE F***ING AWESOME.

Juno was perched on my shoulder, and Mars had wiggled his way into my bag. Jupiter was sitting on the skateboard in front of me. Don't ask me how we all fit on. I had no idea how. It just worked, okay?

I made a quick stop at the Pokemon Center to heal up the crew. Then I headed for the Gym.

Ugh, don't you hate it when people stare? I almost flipped off a couple of people.

I heard the sounds of a intense battle when I walked up to the Gym. Ah, sweet, did Mom have a actual decent challenger? I left my board outside, opened the door, and stepped inside. And what did you know, I was f***ing right.

The Gym looked like it had been torn apart. There was a f***ing hole in the ceiling! The lights were dim, and some were even busted out. I had to squint to see; it looked like Mom had her venusaur, Demeter, out, duking it out with a unfamiliar serperior; I knew almost all my mom's friends' pokemon; I had never seen that one before.

Juno hopped onto my head, and Mars stuck his head out of my bag. Jupiter was dutifully by my side. Ugh, what should I do? Wait and watch, I guess.

I honestly had not seen a battle this intense ever. Whoever my mom was battling was really tough. I tried to remember anyone important who might have a serperior. There had got to be someone out there that strong. This serperior was tearing up the floor with Demeter.

I quickly got out of the way, moving back closer to the front door. The side of the Gym that had the serperior and its trainer was dark; I couldn't see the trainer. My mom's side had dim light, and I could see why they say the Gym leaders battle with their pokemon; my mom's clothes were torn, and she had scrapes, and she looked like she was sweating.

"Demeter, use Sludge Bomb!" my mom ordered.

A nasty blob of poisonous sludge was hurled from the flower on her back at the serperior. The lithe grass snake easily dodged it, however, and with a order from its trainer who sounded like a guy, lunged at Demeter, swinging its tail, using a attack I'd never seen. To much of my surprise, the venusaur was forced back into her poke ball.

What did they guy call the attack? Dragon Tail, I believed.

My mom's shiny pikachu, the toughest on her team , leaped from his perch on her shoulder to face off with the serperior. His name was Raiden, and he was the father of Juno, along with Bolt's pichu, Storm. He was supposed to be f***ing level one hundred, which made sense if he was in the War. He had a scar over his right eye from the War. I thought it was from one of the president's admins or something.

"Raiden, Volt Tackle!" my mom commanded.

"Viper, Leaf Blade."

The two pokemon collided, and there was a big flash of light, and dirt/smoke/whatever swirled everywhere. I had to cover my mouth to breathe properly, and even so I couldn't help but cough. When everything was clear, both of the pokemon were barely standing, and then they both collapsed, unconscious. Mom took Demeter's poke ball back out, and I realized that the other guy must have had one more pokemon left. I had to get her attention now!

"Mom!" I exclaimed.

She stopped, and turned her head to look at me, surprised. "Amber? What're you doing here?"

"I need to ask you something!" I exclaimed.

She sighed. "All right. Hang on one second, Grey."

Grey? Did she just say _Grey_? As in Quartz's dad? I'd never met him, that I could remember anyways. He was always at the Indigo League since he was one of the Elite Four. I should have figured he would come down from time to time, and that made me realize that my mom must be really, really strong. No wonder nobody had ever won the badge. Arceus.

"What is it, Amber?" she asked me.

"Can I leave? On my journey? Professor Pine wants a bunch of us to complete the Pokedex for him! Please? Pleaaase? C'mon, Mom, I've been wanting to take on the Indigo League so badly!"

She sighed, and ran a hand through her hair. "Oh, all right. Who's going?"

"Me, Cory, Opal, Xenon, Mica, Aurum, Pyrite, Quartz, Bronze, and Galena!"

"Okay," she said. "If the Professor wants you to, I see nothing wrong with it. Just be careful, okay?"

I nodded and started jumping up and down. "I will, I promise! Thanks so much, Mom! I love you!"

I gave her and quick hug, and then dashed back to the door, waving. Finally!

Pewter City, here I come! I'm sure you won't meet anyone like me ever again!

* * *

><p><strong>Dang, this was LOOOOOOOOOOOOONG. I BROKE A RECORD, YEAH! :D<strong>

**So? How was it?**

**Who is your favorite character out of the main crew so far? (Amber, Corundum, Opal, Aurum, Mica, Xenon, Pyrite, Bronze, Galena, Quartz, and Zircon)**

**Expect all of the gang from the Trilogy to have taken a level in badass. Not just Topaz and Grey, either. You'll see~**

**I'm trying something different with present tense, to give the Trilogy a feel that it has already happened, and that Evermore is happening now.**

**Also, I will be posting character files... Eventually. xD**

**So... REVIEW!**


	2. 2: Trying To Start Something With Snivy

**Note: Edited**

* * *

><p><strong><span>EVERMORE<span>**

**~Sequel Of The Forever Trilogy~**

**Chapter 2**

**Trying To Start Something With Snivy**

_Monday, August 16, 5018._

_(Aqua's POV)_

It was a nice day here in Accumula Town. I had no real reason to be here. I just wanted to relax, I guess, take a break from my never ending search for my dad. Everyone needed a break, you know. I'd already gotten all the badges in both the Unova and Indigo Leagues. I had nothing to do anymore. Just... search.

But I'd never give up. I knew Dad was out there... somewhere. I thought I would know if he was dead or not.

I had Blitzy out, my zebstrika, my first pokemon ever, given to be by my dad. We were walking along through Accumula, just enjoying the weather and the music that always played throughout the town. It was a pretty nice day for the middle of August. I was used to it being really hot, so unbearably hot it made me sweat, which wasn't pleasant at all.

I adjusted the strap of my bag on my shoulder, and pulled down my pale blue tank top. I whipped out my pokegear and check the time. Hm... Professor Willow should be in. Maybe I'd drop in on her and say hi. I hadn't seen anyone from my past as of late. I'd been... avoiding them, you could say. But Willow was cool; she only really talked to Professor Pine, Aunt Viola, and Uncle Rin.

"All right, Blitzy," I said, catching the zebstrika's attention. "Let's go to Nuvema!"

The electric zebra snorted, and nodded his head. I patted him on the shoulder, and proceeded to head off in the direction of the sheltered town. Boy, Willow was going to be surprised to see me.

~ . ~ . ~

_(Carmine's POV)_

Today was the day! Oh, I was so excited!

I hated that I had to say goodbye to Daddy and Mum, but I'd be fourteen in December, and I needed to be on my own. I had to grow up eventually. I figured that was the point Daddy was trying to make by having his old friend, Professor Willow, give me a starter pokemon.

I wondered if I'd ever be a Champion like Daddy was back during the days of the War. I thought that'd be cool.

So, here I was, walking through Nuvema Town after Daddy dropped me off on Celio, his archeops. The town was pretty tiny compared to the rest of the world, and it was weird to think that Daddy and Uncle Alan grew up here as kids. It just didn't seem like a place people as awesome as them would be from, you know?

I should introduce myself. I'm Carmine Kazuo, the oldest daughter of Shirou and Cerise Kazuo! My daddy used to be the Champion of Unova until he retired and gave the position to his best friend Alan so he could travel the world with my mum, who was a descendent of the legendary Pokedex owners Red and Yellow. I took mainly after my daddy, with my long black hair—which I wore in low pigtails—though I had red eyes from my mum. I loved my parents; they were so awesome. Anyways, I was wearing a red low v neck shirt with a white undershirt underneath, a black mini-skirt, knee high white socks, and red sneakers.

I giggled as my adorable emolga, Carolina, glided above my head. I absolutely adored her; she was so perfect. I loved cute pokemon. I wanted to take on the League with my favorites, the cute ones, to prove that it didn't matter if they were not the toughest looking around.

Carolina dropped down on my head as I reached the lab. I pulled open the door, and stepped inside. Professor Willow's assistants were busily at work, though I'd never quite understand what they even do. I walked down the center aisle between the work benches, and finally reached the front of the lab, where Professor Willow was waiting for me. Three oddly colored pokemon were on the table in front of her—a snivy, a oshawott, and a tepig. They were all shiny; that surprised me.

"Hi, Professor Willow!" I greeted her cheerily, and Carolina squeaked her own greeting. "I'm here, just as you asked!"

Professor Willow was thirty-seven years old. She had wavy light brown hair pulled back into a bun, and friendly, twinkling blue eyes. She was married, and has three kids, but she decided to keep her maiden name, unlike her sister, who married Uncle Alan. I liked her, she was really nice.

"Thanks for coming, Carmine," she said with a friendly smile. "I would have asked you to do this years ago, but you were busy traveling with your parents. Besides, Professor Pine wanted me to wait. You see, he has finally perfected a new Pokedex!"

I gasped. "A Pokedex? Oh my gosh, really? Professor Pine wants me to carry a Pokedex?"

"And complete it," she said, still smiling. "So, here are your choices of starters. Which one would you like?"

I looked over the three shiny pokemon. Oh, all of them were so wonderful! How could I ever choose? Oh, I'd have to try. Let's see...

"Snivy!" I declared. "I choose Snivy!"

The shiny snivy smirked at the oshawott and tepig, who began to sulk. It then stood up, walked to the edge of the table, and leaped onto my shoulder with expertise. Carolina gave it a friendly greeting from her perch on top of my head.

"That snivy is female," said Professor Willow. "Would you like to name her?"

"Of course!" I exclaimed. I tapped my chin in thought for a moment. "Her name shall be Florida!"

"All right! Now for your Pokedex..."

...

I was all set now, and I was about to head out to start my journey officially when the door of the lab opened, and a girl walked inside. She was much older than me, probably about eighteen or so. She was pretty tall, probably only a few inches away from six feet. She had long, pale blonde hair, and strange mismatched eyes—one eye was silver, the other icy blue. She was wearing a light sky blue tank top, and pale blue jean short shorts, and a zebstrika was by her side. She was absolutely stunning!

"Professor Willow!" she called with a smile, waving. "Long time no see!"

The professor looked genuinely surprised. "Aqua! I thought you left for Kanto or something by now. Why are you still in Unova?"

"Well, I just wanted to make sure I covered everything here," she said, this girl named Aqua.

"I see," said Professor Willow. "Well, this is perfect timing! You have a flying pokemon, right? I need Carmine here to get to Kanto."

"Kanto?" I gasped, startled. "Why can't I stay in Unova?"

"Because your father called me and told me he wants you to be with your cousins and your friends," she said firmly. "Especially Amber, he told me. She needs your positive influence. Aqua is the _perfect_ one to take you there."

Aqua laughed. "I guess so." She turned to me. "You must be Carmine Kazuo, then. Shirou and Cerise's daughter."

"Yes," I say slowly. "The eldest daughter, anyway. How do you know who I am?"

Aqua grinned mischievously. "Now that you can find out on your own." She turned back to the professor. "All right, I'll take her, but only because you asked me." Back to me. "All right, Kazuo, come with me."

She returned her zebstrika back to its poke ball before heading out. I hastily followed the older girl. I was so confused right now. How did this girl know us? She looked a lot like Aunt Diamonda in a way, but there was something else about her that was creepy, and it was not just her eyes.

But, you know, the good thing about going to Kanto meant I got to see Pyrite! Oh, when was the last time I saw him? Three years ago, I thought. I wondered how he had changed. He had to be much hotter than before. Someday I'd be Carmine Kimu, and I couldn't wait for that day!

Aqua took out a ultra ball, and released a pokemon I so did not expect. A salamence of all things appeared in a flash of light. It let out a slightly annoyed growl as I gawked at the dragon pokemon with wide eyes. I'd never seen one before. Aqua laughed at my expression.

"This is Sally. She's our ride to Kanto. Now, come on, she won't bite. We've got to hurry if we're to catch Amber. That girl can move."

...

The flight was really nice. It made me want to get a large flying pokemon, made me want to break my rule just one time. But there had gotta be some sort of cute flying pokemon out there! I'd find one, that was for sure! There was so many pokemon out there in the world, after all.

Sally dropped down right in front of the Viridian Gym right as my younger cousin came bursting out.

"WHAT THE FU-"

"Amber!" I cried joyfully, cutting her off. I leaped off of the salamance's back, and promptly glomped the smaller girl in a hug.

She shoved me off of her, giving me a fierce glare that almost made me flinch. She was seven inches shorter than me, but I was flatter than her by a lot. Her golden blonde hair was pulled back in a sloppy high ponytail, and she was wearing a typical Amber outfit—a cropped orange and black tank top that shows her midriff, jean short shorts, her obnoxious red and turquoise striped knee high socks, and sneakers. She must have had inherited her fangs from her ancestor, Sapphire, on her dad's side. Her pikachu was on her shoulder, a ratatta was peeking out of her backpack, and a charmander was by her side.

"What the f**k are you doing here?" she demanded angrily.

"I'm in the Pokedex project!" I exclaimed joyfully, ignoring her typical ornery attitude; I remembered back in the day when she was girlier than me and Galena combined. "I'm wanted here in Kanto, apparently."

Her eye twitched. "Well, we don't f***ing want you!" she snapped. "Go harass somebody else."

She rudely pushed me out of the way, only to come face to face with Sally.

"HOLY SH*T THAT'S A F***ING SALAMENCE!"

I giggled as Sally smirked down at the girl, and Aqua walked up closer to us. There was a amused look on the older girl's face.

"Yes, she is," Aqua said with wry smile.

Amber stared at her, and then narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "And who the hell are you?"

Aqua patted Sally on the neck before answering. "Aqua. That's all you need to know for now."

Amber scowled, and then opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted.

"Yo, Ambs! Carm! I thought I recognized you!"

It was Dodge! Well, his real name was Dodger, but everyone called him Dodge for short. He was thirteen, a bit on the tall side, and was a extremely cool guy, just not as awesome as Pyrite, who I was dying to see. He had spiky blue hair, and blue eyes that were constantly twinkling mischievously. Today he was wearing a simple v neck blue shirt, and jean shorts. He always had either a pair of sunglasses resting on top of his head, or actually on, and today they were on top of his head. His loyal vaporeon was by his side, as usual.

"DODGE!" Amber screamed before hugging him, and then punching him hard in the arm. "Where the hell have you been? You've been missing f***ing everything, you b*****d!"

Dodge laughed; those two were best friends, and Pyrite used to complete the trio before something happened to make Amber hate him. Dodge was still best friends with both of them. He was usually the mediator between the two, though Amber was the problem causer when it came to Py.

"Sorry, man, I was chilling with my dad, training," he said, the usual cocky smirk on his face. "You know how it is. Dad's always busy, being a member of the Elite Four and all. He wanted to spend some 'quality time' with his only son before I left to take on the League with everyone else."

"You have a Pokedex?" I gasped.

"Dude, I wish," he said. "But I'm not descended from the original Pokedex holders like you guys are. But all's cool."

"Well, you better f***ing travel with me," Amber snapped. "You promised when we were younger!"

Dodge smirked. "Sure, Ambs, but Ry's going to have to come, too."

Amber's jaw dropped, and her hands clenched into fists. "That son of a b***h isn't _worthy_ to come with us!"

Oh, she did not just call Pyrite a S.O.B.!

"Leave Pyrite alone!" I snapped. "He did nothing to you to deserve all your backtalk! Stop being such a mean bully, Amber!"

Amber turned on me, looking very much angry. "Shut up, you b***h! You know _nothing_! I'll say all I f***ing want about that perverted a**hole! Bite me!"

Now I remembered why I stopped coming to visit my cousins and friends in Kanto. Because Amber just started hating on me for no real reason, around the same time she turned on Pyrite, too, and did a total three sixty in her personality. We used to be good friends, too... What happened to change that?

"Ambs, leave Carm alone," Dodge said, putting his hand on her shoulder, pulling her back away from me a little. "Don't do something stupid in front of your mom's Gym when she can walk right out and see what's going on."

"See what?"

I nearly jumped ten feet in the air. I whirled around to see Aunt Topaz standing in front of the doors to the Gym, hands on her hips, looking messy from battle, her eyes narrowed. She wasn't alone either, Uncle Grey was there too. I saw him more than everyone else since he often trained with my dad, being one of the Elite Four and all.

"Um, nothing at all!" I said hastily, not wanting to get into trouble.

"NOTHING?" Amber yelled, clenching her hands into fists. "NOTHING? Stop lying, bi-"

Dodge smacked her hard on the back, cutting her off, and almost knocking her over.

"WHAT THE HELL, DODGE?"

"Sorry for stopping you from saying something idiotic," he said. "Am I seriously your babysitter?"

Aunt Topaz sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Dear Arceus. I don't want to know." She turned to Grey. "While you're here, you should go see Fiori. You might be able to catch Quartz before she leaves."

"I plan on it," Uncle Grey said with a nod. "Well, see you later, Topaz."

He headed off, and Aunt Topaz waved goodbye. She gave us another look before sighing, shaking her head, and going back inside the Gym. I turned back to face my friends. I noticed Aqua and Sally were gone. I didn't hear them even leave!

"Whoa, where'd they go?" I gasped.

"Who knows, who f***ing cares," Amber snapped, glaring at me.

I sighed. "She was pretty cool, though..."

"I don't give a d**n," Amber said hotly. "C'mon, Dodge, let's go."

"Ah, not without Ry!" he said with a grin, flipping his hair.

"F**k you!" she snapped.

"No thanks," he said with a smirk.

"Argh! Shut up!"

I pursed my lips, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. I was itching to see Pyrite, but he still hadn't shown up yet. I guessed I might have to look for him myself, then. That was okay. It would be safer to see him without Amber around to get angry and violent.

"Yo, Dodge! Hey, man, it's been ages!"

PYRITE.

There he was, in all his amazing glory. Pyrite was only a inch or so taller than Dodge, and he was the sexiest guy in the planet. I just loved his sloppy, floppy black hair, and his gold eyes were just so _amazing_. I had to restrain myself from running up to him and hugging him, because Amber would definitely cuss me out and hit me then, and Pyrite too.

Dodge grinned broadly. "'Sup, dude! I know, right? I was busying chilling and training with the old man, otherwise I'd be out here hanging with you guys."

They fist bumped, and Amber scowled, crossing her arms over her chest. I took a deep breath, and tried to keep myself calm. I could do this. I could not freak out. I could control myself.

"All's cool," Pyrite told him, then turned to look at us. "Hey, Carmine! What're you doing here?"

"Um... Working on the Pokedex just like you!" I said brightly, trying to keep myself calm. "Daddy wants me here, apparently, not in Unova. But that's fine with me! I get to see all of you guys!"

"Like we want to see you," Amber spat, her arms still crossed.

"Jeez, Amber, you'd think you'd be nicer to your own cousin," Pyrite said, giving her a stern look.

"Oh, shut your trap, perv," she snapped. "I don't give a d*mn about what you think!"

"All right, all right, no need to start cussing out," Dodge said, stepping in between the two. "Ry, what do you say about traveling with Ambs and me? Just like the good ol' days?"

Something flickered in Pyrite's eyes as he ran a hand through his wild hair. "Oh... I don't know... if that'd be a good idea..."

"See!" Amber exclaimed, flailing her arms. "He even _agrees_ with me!"

Dodge put his hand up, motioning for her to stay silent. "C'mon, bro! Like I'll let anything happen to you! What's the worse Ambs can do?"

Pyrite paled. "Uh... Probably something really... graphic... and disturbing... But not murder. She'd do something way worse."

"Got that f***ing right!" Amber growled.

I bit my tongue to stop myself from saying anything that would get me beat up.

"C'mon, dude," Dodge said. "Everything'll be fine!"

Pyrite sighed. "Okay, fine. I'll go with you guys."

Dodge grinned. "That's what I like to hear!"

Amber groaned loudly. "Great, now I have to deal with your bullsh*t every f***ing day of my life!"

Pyrite sighed heavily, and I had to resist the urge to hug him. I prefered to keep my limbs intact and my face not busted.

"Well, um, I'm going to head off now," I announced, wanting to get away. "Bye guys!"

"See ya, Carm!" Dodge said, waving me off.

"Bye," said Pyrite.

Amber was the only one who stays silent. I didn't mind that. It was better that way, too. Less trouble. I loved my cousin, but she just hated me so much. I didn't know why. I never did anything to her! We had been such good friends.

Anyways, I headed off towards Viridian Forest, eager to set off on my journey. I had to make Daddy proud!

~ . ~ . ~

_(Amber's POV)_

Now I was in a really p***ed off mood. Why, Dodge? WHY? You knew how I felt about Pyrite. Were you trying to make my life utterly miserable? Were you trying to make me go crazy? SERIOUSLY? WHAT THE HELL, DODGE? I WAS GOING TO DIE NOW. F**K MY LIFE.

"I swear to Arceus, Pyrite, if you try anything I will kick your motherf***ing a** into the middle of next week," I growled threateningly.

"Okay, okay," he snapped. "Jeez, give me a break for once. Arceus."

Dodge looked back and forth at us. He then shook his head at us.

"You kids," he said. "What will I ever do with you?"

I ignored him, setting down my skateboard, and returned Jupiter and Mars to their poke balls, leaving Juno out. I stepped on my board, and gave them both death glares.

"Well? Don't just stand there like dumba**es," I snapped. "We've got to get a move on. I have to get the Boulder Badge before that b*****d Zircon does!"

"You really hate Oak, don't you?" Dodge said, smirking.

"You have no idea," Pyrite said with a snort. "But she hates lots of people, so it's not a big deal."

"Shut up!" I snapped, punching his arm.

"Jeez, lay off, woman!"

"I WILL NEVER F***ING LAY OFF!"

"Okay, you two, let's go," said Dodge, grabbing us both by the arm, proceeding to drag us with him.

"Hey, we left my board, d****t!"

...

Viridian Forest. This place was pretty famous. Legend said that every decade, the forest chose someone to gift psychic powers to, such as being able to understand pokemon, and have healing abilities. They were simply called Viridian powers. My mom and Aunt Cerise, the female spawn of the devil's mother, had them. Most of my siblings had inherited some sort of power from our mother.

I had put my board away in my bag since the forest floor was too bumpy to glide along. I stalked ahead of the two boys I was stuck traveling with. Ugh, Dodge must really like to torture me.

Juno was walking ahead with Mars. Jupiter was staying closer to me, as usual. Dodge had his vaporeon and dewott out, and Pyrite had his yanma, Fehler, and his shiny cyndaquil, Ex, out also. I was on the lookout for any pokemon to catch. I had already caught a pidgey and weedle for the Pokedex. I'd have to check out the Pokemon Storage System in Pewter once we got there.

The forest was cooler than any other area we'd been. The sunlight had to filter in through the densely populated trees. My sneakers crunched on the fallen leaves and other debris. Still, everything was so green and peaceful. I could see why my ancestor Yellow liked to hang in this place. It actually calmed me down.

"Guys, I think something's up," Pyrite said, ruining the peace.

I scowled, halting, and turned around to face my friend and the scumbag. "What the hell do you mean?"

"Well, like, all the wild pokemon are either gone or hiding," he said. "We've should have bumped into a lot more than what we've caught!"

"He's right," said Dodge, frowning. "Something's up... It's too quiet, too."

I looked around. There was no pokemon in the trees, too. What the f**k was going on? What was causing this?

"Then don't just stand there!" I snapped. "We've got to investigate!"

"Right on, man," said Dodge, and his pokemon moved closer to him.

"Let's do this!" said Pyrite.

We headed deeper into the forest. Juno leaped on my shoulder, and Mars made a perch on my other one. Jupiter just stayed next to me. We kept close to the trees, just in case there was someone causing this that was dangerous. I was the type to just go busting in, but I had two guys with me, so I couldn't do that.

"Stop!"

I froze. Someone dropped down from a tree. It took me a second to recognize her. It was that teenage girl from before, the one that disappeared when Mom and Grey stepped out of the Gym. What was her name again? Oh yeah, Aqua. This time, she had a kabutops with her.

"You again!" I exclaimed. "What do you _want_?"

Dodge and Pyrite came up on either side of me. I ignored the fact that Pyrite was staring at the girl; of course he was, the pervert. I had to grip the strap of my bag to prevent myself from punching him again. He was really getting on my nerves.

"There's people up ahead stealing all the pokemon in the forest," she said. "It's too dangerous for you to continue!"

"Too _dangerous_?" I exclaimed, insulted. "Do you know who we are, b*tch? All of our parents were in the _War_, and they _trained_ us. You think we're just some _weakling noobs_ just starting out? I don't f***ing think so!"

Aqua narrowed her eyes at me.

"C'mon, Amber, give the girl a break," Pyrite said. "She's just trying to help us!"

"I don't need her f***ing help!" I yelled.

"You think you can take out six Team Rocket grunts when there are only three of you are you don't have a full team?" Aqua asked me, raising her eyebrow.

I grit my teeth, and glared at her. "Team Rocket is full of pathetic weaklings. We can so take them on! I've already battled two of those losers!"

Aqua narrowed her eyes. "Your first mistake: never underestimate your enemy. If you're going to take them, let me help."

"Fine," I growedl. "But don't get in my way!"

When I stormed ahead, I swore I hear her ask, "Is she always like this?" and one of them reply, "Yeah."

I broke into a clearing only to behold a horrible sight. Those Team Rocket grunts weren't only cleaning out the forest of its pokemon, but they had that lowlife cousin of mine! They f***ing tied her up, and her emolga and shiny snivy were gone. Aqua wasn't kidding.

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF ARCEUS ARE YOU DOING?" I screamed with fury.

"Amber! Get out of here while you can!" Carmine cried to me.

"I'm not a f***ing coward!" I exclaimed. "Go, Juno! Mars! Jupiter!"

The three pokemon leaped forward as Dodge, Pyrite, and Aqua finally came after me. The grunts didn't say anything; I felt like they were different from the two Opal and I encountered at Professor Pine's lab. The just sent out their pokemon to battle us.

"This is what I was talking about!" Aqua yelled. "Blades, go!" The kabutopd leaps forward.

"Finally, a intense battle!" Dodge said with a grin. "Let's go, Vaporeon, Dewott!"

It was time to get my anger out, which should help me feel better. Might as well take it out on these creeps. I was the only one who could hurt Carmine around here! No matter how much I hated her and she annoyed me, she was still family, and family was important to me.

"Juno, Thunder Shock! Jupiter, Dragon Pulse! Mars, Quick Attack!" I shouted, commanding my pokemon.

The weak shock of electricity actually knocked out a couple of the grunts' pokemon. The shock wave of Dragon Pulse took out several as Jupiter swept his head around while executing the move. Mars blasted forward with wicked speed, hitting several enemy pokemon as he ran.

These grunts didn't stand a motherf***ing chance.

"Now Volt Tackle, Juno!" I commanded.

Yeah, you heard me right. Volt Tackle. It was a egg move from Raiden. The pikachu coated herself in electricity, and blasted by several of the Team Rocket losers' pokemon, knocking them all out in one hit. Awesome, as always.

I turned to see all my friends have finished off the other pokemon. I also noticed that Pyrite had gone to release Carmine from her ropes. Anger filled me, and my hands clenched into fists. Why was I angry? So what he was going to help her? Oh, wait, maybe he was just doing it to feel her up, the pervert!

"PYRITE, YOU KEEP YOUR F***ING FILTHY HANDS OFF HER!" I screamed.

"Arceus, Amber, I'm just helping her!"

"I don't f***ing care!"

"SHUT UP, BOTH OF YOU!"

I turned around to see that Aqua had yelled at us. She looked very angry, and her eyes had a fierce glint in them that I had never seen. Even Dodge looked surprised at her outburst. She hasd seemed to be so calm and serious, and to have her yell at us like that was shocking.

"I don't want to hear another word," she said darkly. "Thanks to your bickering, the grunts got away. And they left this poor caterpie to die."

I noticed the bleeding pokemon in her arms. I was filled with rage. I had to hit something or I'd go crazy. I couldn't believe those creeps did that to the poor pokemon! I stalked up to Aqua, and she didn't flinch when I took the caterpie from her arms.

"Those motherf***ing b*****ds," I growled. "They'll pay for this."

My rage faded as I stroked the caterpie gently on the head. I was suddenly filled with sadness. This poor thing was going to die because of those b*****ds. I had to do something! There had to be something I could do.

Suddenly, the weirdest thing happened. I felt a drain of energy, and saw the caterpie's injuries fade right before my very eyes. I gasped. How did that happen? I didn't do anything, I swear! But then I felt a drain of energy, and a wave of exhaustion hit me.

"Whoa," said Dodge, his eyes wide. "You just saved it!"

"You did," said Aqua. "You must have Viridian powers, then."

"Viridian powers?" I asked. "I can only talk to pokemon..."

"It's a legend. Every decade, the Viridian Forest chooses a baby born to be gifted with psychic powers," Aqua explained. "Your mom has them, as did your ancestor Amarillo del Bosque Verde. You can talk to pokemon, right? Now you can heal, too. Your powers must be developing."

Oh duh. That made sense.

"How do you know so much about me?" I demanded.

She merely smirked, a rather unnerving grin. "I'm afraid you're not ready to know that right now. My work here is done. I have to go. I _will_ be seeing you guys later."

And with that, she waved, returned

her kabutops, releasing her salamence. She climbed onto the dragon's back, the pokemon leaped into the air, and soon they' were gone. I turned to look at my companions, clearly shocked at the turn of events.

"She's hot," Pyrite said after a moment, breaking the silence.

My eye twitched. "Pervert!" I punched him in the arm. "Arceus, is that all you f***ing think about?"

"N-No!" he protested.

"C'mon, Ambs," Dodge said, grabbing me by the arm, dragging me away before I could cause any more damage to the spawn of the devil. "Are you gonna catch that caterpie?"

"Nah," I said, still silently seething. "It's fine here. It should live its life in the forest after being hurt like that. I can catch another one for the Pokedex."

I walked over to a tree, and set the caterpie down on a branch as gently as I could. It let out a cry, almost sounding like it's protesting, but I ignored it. I turned back to face my companions, shooting Pyrite and Carmine glares. Ugh, I knew I was stuck with the b*****d, but the b*tch now, too?

"Just don't stand there like f***ing idiots!" I snapped. "We've got to get going! Get those a**es moving!"

I was not about to wait for them, so I headed off on my own. Juno, Jupiter, and Mars rushed after me.

* * *

><p><strong>The point of this chapter was to introduce Aqua and Carmine. I have to say Carmine is Amber's foil (don't know what that is, look it up, it's a English term). Aqua is a lot like Am, I'll tell you that much.<strong>

**Now, I bet you're dying to know about Dodge. Heh, I can't say anything yet. His parents will remain a mystery for now. YES, I'M EVIL AND I KNOW IT.**

**Another point of this chapter was to dive deeper into Amber's character. Topaz is a hero, Amber is a anti-hero. There is a point to this. And yes, I agree that Amber's a awful person.**

**You guys are going to love Carmine, she's awesome. **

**Anything else... I feel like I'm missing something. WHAT IS THIS FEELING? AM I MISSING SOMETHING?**

**Uh... OH YEAH. Yes, Carmine has a gigantic crush on Pyrite. Man, he just gets the worst two girls. You'll find out Carmy's problem later if you haven't already figured out Amber's.**

**I love Dodge. He is legit my favorite character, tied with Alpha Bronze (Bronze's second self). DODGE IS AWESOME, AS IS HIS MYSTERY PARENT. *cackles***

**Ahem. Review!**


	3. Bonus: Character Files: Part I

**BONUS CHAPTER:**

**THE CHARACTERS OF EVERMORE**

**PART I**

****(as of chapter 22)****

* * *

><p><strong><strong>Contains: Alpha Line Kids, Beta Line Kids, Team Rocket, Other Info<strong>**

* * *

><p><strong><strong>ALPHA LINE KIDS<strong>**

* * *

><p><strong>Name:<strong> Amber Rosso-Senri  
><strong>Nickname:<strong> Ambs, Amb  
><strong>Gender:<strong> Female  
><strong>Age:<strong> 13 years  
><strong>Birth Date:<strong> August 10th (Leo), 5005  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Straight, thick, golden blonde, ends right below shoulder blades, usually up in high ponytail, with messy bangs with minor spikes behind them  
><strong>Eyes:<strong> Orange, round, sharp, usually angry  
><strong>Height: <strong>4' 11"**  
>Blood Type<strong>: O  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Kantoan, with strong influences from Johtoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer, Pokedex holder  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Alpha Line _(future)_, Pallet Town Research Laboratory _(future)_  
><strong>Pokedex:<strong> 21  
><strong>Badges:<strong> Boulder Badge, Cascade Badge, Thunder Badge  
><strong>Hometown:<strong> Pallet Town, Kanto _(future)_  
><strong>Relatives:<strong> Rubin Senri _(father)_, Topaz Rosso-Senri _(mother)_, Zlato Ama _(older half brother)_, Copal Rosso-Senri _(older sister)_, Corundum Rosso-Senri _(twin brother)_, Lapis Lazuli Rosso-Senri _(younger sister)_, Blaze Rosso-Senri _(younger brother)_, Bolt Rosso-Senri _(younger brother)_, Cerise Kazuo _(aunt)_, Shirou Kazuo _(uncle)_, Finnian Kazuo _(first cousin)_, Carmine Kazuo _(first cousin)_, Emery Kazuo _(first cousin)_, Sable Kazuo _(first cousin)_, Crimson Rosso _(uncle)_, Indigo Rosso _(aunt)_, Garnet Rosso _(first cousin)_, Teal Rosso _(first cousin)_, Kunzite Rosso _(first cousin)_, Lavender Rosso _(first cousin)_, Sapphira Kimu _(aunt)_, Gold Kimu Jr. _(uncle)_, Altan Marun _(first cousin)_, Opal Kimu _(first cousin)_, Aurum Kimu _(first cousin)_, Mica Kimu _(first cousin)_, Xenon Kimu _(first cousin)_, Jet Kimu _(first cousin)_, Orange Rosso _(uncle)_, Ruby Senri _(paternal grandfather)_, Sapphire Senri _(paternal grandmother)_, Red Rosso _(maternal grandfather)_, Yellow Rosso _(maternal grandmother)_, Norman Senri _(paternal great grandfather)_, and Professor Birch _(paternal great grandfather)_  
><strong>Social Status:<strong> Single. She has admitted her feelings for Pyrite Kimu, but they are not together. She is confused about Gio Sakaki.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> Maize Kimu _(Beta)_; Delta Unknown  
><strong><span>Current Team:<span>  
>JUNO<strong> - Female - Pikachu - Level 56 - Electric - Static - Mischievous nature - Iron Tail, Volt Tackle, Thunderbolt, Discharge, Dig, Thunder  
><strong>JUPITER<strong> - Male - Charizard _(shiny)_ - Level 47 - Fire/Flying - Blaze - Serious nature - Dragon Pulse, Fire Fang, Flamethrower, Swords Dance, Wing Attack, Shadow Claw  
><strong>MARS<strong> - Male - Raticate - Level 47 - Normal - Guts - Naughty nature - Hyper Fang, Sucker Punch, Crunch, Super Fang, Strength, Double Edge  
><strong>DIANA<strong> - Female - Butterfree - Level 45 - Bug/Flying - Compoundeyes - Calm nature - Gust, Psybeam, Silver Wind, Substitute, Tailwind, Psychic  
><strong>CERES<strong> - Female - Breloom - Level 46 - Grass/Fighting - Effect Spore - Adamant nature - Mega Drain, Mach Punch, Force Palm, Sky Uppercut, Retaliate, Seed Bomb

* * *

><p><strong>Name:<strong> Corundum Rosso-Senri  
><strong>Nickname:<strong> Cory  
><strong>Gender:<strong> Male  
><strong>Age:<strong> 13 years  
><strong>Birth Date:<strong> August 10th (Leo), 5005  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Short, neat, black, usually covered by a red and white hat  
><strong>Eyes:<strong> Ruby red, round, friendly  
><strong>Height: <strong>5' 1"**  
>Blood Type<strong>: O  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Kantoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer, Pokedex holder  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Alpha Line _(future)_, Pallet Town Research Laboratory _(future)_  
><strong><strong>Pokedex:<strong> **5?**  
><strong>Badges:<strong> **Boulder Badge, Cascade Badge, Thunder Badge**  
>Hometown:<strong> Pallet Town, Kanto _(future)**  
><strong>_**Relatives:** Rubin Senri _(father)_, Topaz Rosso-Senri _(mother)_, Zlato Ama _(older half brother)_, Copal Rosso-Senri _(older sister)_, Amber Rosso-Senri _(twin sister)_, Lapis Lazuli Rosso-Senri _(younger sister)_, Blaze Rosso-Senri _(younger brother)_, Bolt Rosso-Senri _(younger brother)_, Cerise Kazuo _(aunt)_, Shirou Kazuo _(uncle)_, Finnian Kazuo _(first cousin)_, Carmine Kazuo _(first cousin)_, Emery Kazuo _(first cousin)_, Sable Kazuo _(first cousin)_, Crimson Rosso _(uncle)_, Indigo Rosso _(aunt)_, Garnet Rosso _(first cousin)_, Teal Rosso _(first cousin)_, Kunzite Rosso _(first cousin)_, Lavender Rosso _(first cousin)_, Sapphira Kimu _(aunt)_, Gold Kimu Jr. _(uncle)_, Altan Marun _(first cousin)_, Opal Kimu _(first cousin)_, Aurum Kimu _(first cousin)_, Mica Kimu _(first cousin)_, Xenon Kimu _(first cousin)_, Jet Kimu _(first cousin)_, Orange Rosso _(uncle)_, Ruby Senri _(paternal grandfather)_, Sapphire Senri _(paternal grandmother)_, Red Rosso _(maternal grandfather)_, Yellow Rosso _(maternal grandmother)_, Norman Senri _(paternal great grandfather)_, and Professor Birch _(paternal great grandfather)_  
><strong>Social Status:<strong> Single, but he has a crush on Quartz Kuro. He seems to finally be doing something about it.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> Cadmium Kimu _(Beta)_; Delta Unknown  
><strong><span>Current Team:<span>  
>KIKI<strong> - Female - Skitty - Level 48 - Normal - Cute Charm - Naive nature - Attract, Heal Bell, Double Edge, Shadow Ball, Toxic, Thunder  
><strong>JOJO<strong> - Female - Swampert _(shiny)_ - Level 47 - Water/Ground - Torrent - Quirky nature - Blizzard, Mud Bomb, Take Down, Muddy Water, Protect, Surf  
><strong>FIFI<strong> - Female - Vulpix - Level 46 - Fire - Flash Fire - Sassy nature - Payback, Flamethrower, Safeguard, Extrasensory, Fire Blast, Captivate  
><strong>TOTO<strong> - Male - Tropius - Level 47 - Grass/Flying - Solar Power - Jolly nature - Razor Leaf, Stomp, Sweet Scent, Magical Leaf, Fly, Body Slam

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Opal Kimu  
><strong>Nickname:<strong> None  
><strong>Gender: <strong>Female  
><strong>Age: <strong>15 years  
><strong>Birth Date: <strong>May 30th (Gemini), 5003  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Long, dark brown, usually up in pigtails that slant downward  
><strong>Eyes: <strong>Sapphire blue, round, warm  
><strong>Height:<strong> 5' 5"  
><strong>Blood Type: <strong>B  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Kantoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer, Pokedex holder  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Alpha Line _(future)_, Pallet Town Research Laboratory _(future)  
><em>**Pokedex:** 4?  
><strong>Badges:<strong> Boulder Badge, Cascade Badge, Thunder Badge  
><strong>Hometown: <strong>Pallet Town, Kanto _(future)_  
><strong>Relatives: <strong>Gold Kimu Jr. _(father)_, Sapphira Kimu _(mother)_, Altan Marun _(older half brother)_, Aurum Kimu _(younger brother)_, Mica Kimu _(younger brother)_, Xenon Kimu _(younger brother)_, Jet Kimu _(younger brother)_, Amethyst Kimu _(uncle)_, Diamonda Kimu _(aunt)_, Aqua Kimu _(first cousin)_, Coral Kimu _(first cousin)_, Pyrite Kimu _(first cousin)_, Iolite Kuro _(aunt)_, Grey Kuro _(uncle)_, Arylide Kuro _(first cousin)_, Kaito Kaigun _(first cousin)_, Quartz Kuro _(first cousin)_, Onyx Kuro _(first cousin)_, Ivory Kuro _(first cousin)_, Rubin Senri _(uncle)_, Topaz Rosso-Senri _(aunt)_, Copal Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Corundum Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Amber Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Lapis Lazuli Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Blaze Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Bolt Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Soul Emeraudo _(second cousin)_, Esmeralda Daiyamondo _(third cousin)_, Chrome Daiyamondo _(fourth cousin)_, Peridot Daiyamondo _(fourth cousin)_, Gold Kimu Sr. _(paternal grandfather)_, Crystal Kimu _(paternal grandmother)_, Ruby Senri _(maternal grandfather)_, Sapphire Senri _(maternal grandmother)_, Norman Senri _(maternal great grandfather)_, and Professor Birch _(maternal great grandfather)_  
><strong>Social Status:<strong> Single. Her feelings are currently unknown.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> N/A  
><strong><span>Current Team:<span>  
>POMEE<strong> - Female - Ambipom - Level 55 - Normal - Pickup - Jolly nature - Swift, Focus Punch, Iron Tail, Agility, Double Hit, Last Resort  
><strong>FERALEE<strong> - Female - Feraligatr _(shiny)_ - Level 44 - Water - Torrent - Modest nature - Scary Face, Hydro Pump, Ice Fang, Crunch, Chip Away, Surf  
><strong>DUSKEE<strong> - Female - Dusclops - Level 41 - Ghost - Levitate - Naughty nature - Shadow Sneak, Pursuit, Shadow Ball, Curse, Will-O-Wisp, Shadow Punch  
>Rest unknown.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Aurum Kimu  
><strong>Nickname:<strong> A  
><strong>Gender: <strong>Male  
><strong>Age: <strong>13 years  
><strong>Birth Date: <strong>May 11th (Taurus), 5005  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Shaggy, sloppy, brown, with traditional Kimu bangs  
><strong>Eyes: <strong>Gold, sharp, mischievous, friendly  
><strong>Height:<strong> 5' 6"  
><strong>Blood Type: <strong>B  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Kantoan, with hints of Johtoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer, Pokedex holder  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Alpha Line _(future)_, Pallet Town Research Laboratory _(future)  
><em>**Pokedex:** 4?  
><strong>Badges:<strong> Boulder Badge, Cascade Badge, Thunder Badge  
><strong>Hometown: <strong>Pallet Town, Kanto _(future)_  
><strong>Relatives: <strong>Gold Kimu Jr. _(father)_, Sapphira Kimu _(mother)_, Altan Marun _(older half brother)_, Opal Kimu _(older sister)_, Mica Kimu _(triplet brother)_, Xenon Kimu _(triplet brother)_, Jet Kimu _(younger brother)_, Amethyst Kimu _(uncle)_, Diamonda Kimu _(aunt)_, Aqua Kimu _(first cousin)_, Coral Kimu _(first cousin)_, Pyrite Kimu _(first cousin)_, Iolite Kuro _(aunt)_, Grey Kuro _(uncle)_, Arylide Kuro _(first cousin)_, Kaito Kaigun _(first cousin)_, Quartz Kuro _(first cousin)_, Onyx Kuro _(first cousin)_, Ivory Kuro _(first cousin)_, Rubin Senri _(uncle)_, Topaz Rosso-Senri _(aunt)_, Copal Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Corundum Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Amber Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Lapis Lazuli Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Blaze Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Bolt Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Soul Emeraudo _(second cousin)_, Esmeralda Daiyamondo _(third cousin)_, Chrome Daiyamondo _(fourth cousin)_, Peridot Daiyamondo _(fourth cousin)_, Gold Kimu Sr. _(paternal grandfather)_, Crystal Kimu _(paternal grandmother)_, Ruby Senri _(maternal grandfather)_, Sapphire Senri _(maternal grandmother)_, Norman Senri _(maternal great grandfather)_, and Professor Birch _(maternal great grandfather)_  
><strong>Social Status:<strong> Single, which is surprising for him. His feelings are currently unknown.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> N/A  
><strong><span>Current Team:<span>  
>RIGEL<strong> - Male - Hitmonchan - Level 50 - Fighting - Iron Fist - Hardy nature - Quick Guard, Thunder Punch, Ice Punch, Fire Punch, Sky Uppercut, Mega Punch  
><strong>SOLARIS<strong> - Male - Meganium _(shiny)_ - Level 43 - Grass - Overgrow - Gentle nature - Synthesis, Leaf Storm, Reflect, Magical Leaf, Petal Dance, Sweet Scent  
><strong>SIRIUS<strong> - Male - Vibrava - Level 41 - Ground/Dragon - Hyper Cutter - Calm nature - Bulldoze, Rock Slide, Supersonic, Screech, Dragon Breath, Fly  
>Rest unknown.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Mica Kimu  
><strong>Nickname:<strong> None  
><strong>Gender: <strong>Male  
><strong>Age: <strong>13 years  
><strong>Birth Date: <strong>May 11th (Taurus), 5005  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Neat, yet slightly unruly, brown, with traditional Kimu bangs  
><strong>Eyes: <strong>Gold, sharp, serious  
><strong>Height:<strong> 5' 5"  
><strong>Blood Type: <strong>B  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Kantoan, with hints of Johtoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer, Pokedex holder  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Alpha Line _(future)_, Pallet Town Research Laboratory _(future)  
><em>**Pokedex:** 3?  
><strong>Badges:<strong> Boulder Badge, Cascade Badge, Thunder Badge  
><strong>Hometown: <strong>Pallet Town, Kanto _(future)_  
><strong>Relatives: <strong>Gold Kimu Jr. _(father)_, Sapphira Kimu _(mother)_, Altan Marun _(older half brother)_, Opal Kimu _(older sister)_, Aurum Kimu _(triplet brother)_, Xenon Kimu _(triplet brother)_, Jet Kimu _(younger brother)_, Amethyst Kimu _(uncle)_, Diamonda Kimu _(aunt)_, Aqua Kimu _(first cousin)_, Coral Kimu _(first cousin)_, Pyrite Kimu _(first cousin)_, Iolite Kuro _(aunt)_, Grey Kuro _(uncle)_, Arylide Kuro _(first cousin)_, Kaito Kaigun _(first cousin)_, Quartz Kuro _(first cousin)_, Onyx Kuro _(first cousin)_, Ivory Kuro _(first cousin)_, Rubin Senri _(uncle)_, Topaz Rosso-Senri _(aunt)_, Copal Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Corundum Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Amber Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Lapis Lazuli Rosso-Senri (_first cousin)_, Blaze Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Bolt Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Soul Emeraudo _(second cousin)_, Esmeralda Daiyamondo _(third cousin)_, Chrome Daiyamondo _(fourth cousin)_, Peridot Daiyamondo _(fourth cousin)_, Gold Kimu Sr. _(paternal grandfather)_, Crystal Kimu _(paternal grandmother)_, Ruby Senri _(maternal grandfather)_, Sapphire Senri _(maternal grandmother)_, Norman Senri _(maternal great grandfather)_, and Professor Birch _(maternal great grandfather)_  
><strong>Social Status:<strong> Single, and not interested. Though he does seem to be hiding something.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> N/A  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
>XATU<strong> - Male - Xatu - Level 41 - Psychic/Flying - Synchronize - Mild nature - Teleport, Psychic, Tailwind, Wish, Psycho Shift, Aerial Ace  
><strong>SCEPTILE<strong> - Male - Sceptile _(shiny)_ - Level 40 - Grass - Overgrow - Bashful nature - Leaf Storm, X-Scissor, Screech, Leaf Blade, Agility, Night Slash  
>Rest unknown.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Xenon Kimu  
><strong>Nickname:<strong> Xe, Xen  
><strong>Gender: <strong>Male  
><strong>Age: <strong>13 years  
><strong>Birth Date: <strong>May 11th (Taurus), 5005  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Shaggy, sloppy, brown, with traditional Kimu bangs  
><strong>Eye Color: <strong>Gold, round, sharp, playful, happy  
><strong>Height:<strong> 5' 7"  
><strong>Blood Type: <strong>B  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Kantoan, with hints of Johtoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer, Pokedex holder  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Alpha Line _(future)_, Pallet Town Research Laboratory _(future)  
><em>**Pokedex:** 3?  
><strong>Badges:<strong> Boulder Badge, Cascade Badge, Thunder Badge  
><strong>Hometown: <strong>Pallet Town, Kanto _(future)_  
><strong>Relatives: <strong>Gold Kimu Jr. _(father)_, Sapphira Kimu _(mother)_, Opal Kimu _(older sister)_, Altan Marun _(older half brother)_, Aurum Kimu _(triplet brother)_, Mica Kimu _(triplet brother)_, Jet Kimu _(younger brother)_, Amethyst Kimu _(uncle)_, Diamonda Kimu _(aunt)_, Aqua Kimu _(first cousin)_, Coral Kimu _(first cousin)_, Pyrite Kimu _(first cousin)_, Iolite Kuro _(aunt)_, Grey Kuro _(uncle)_, Arylide Kuro _(first cousin)_, Kaito Kaigun _(first cousin)_, Quartz Kuro _(first cousin)_, Onyx Kuro _(first cousin)_, Ivory Kuro _(first cousin)_, Rubin Senri _(uncle)_, Topaz Rosso-Senri _(aunt)_, Copal Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Corundum Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Amber Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Lapis Lazuli Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Blaze Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Bolt Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Soul Emeraudo _(second cousin)_, Esmeralda Daiyamondo _(third cousin)_, Chrome Daiyamondo _(fourth cousin)_, Peridot Daiyamondo _(fourth cousin)_, Gold Kimu Sr. _(paternal grandfather)_, Crystal Kimu _(paternal grandmother)_, Ruby Senri (_maternal grandfather)_, Sapphire Senri _(maternal grandmother)_, Norman Senri _(maternal great grandfather)_, and Professor Birch _(maternal great grandfather)_  
><strong>Social Status:<strong> Single, and has no intentions to change it.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> N/A  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
>CAMO<strong> - Male - Camerupt - Level 51 - Fire/Ground - Oblivious - Lax nature - Lava Plume, Take Down, Rock Slide, Yawn, Earthquake, Flamethrower  
><strong>KENO<strong> - Male - Blaziken _(shiny)_ - Level 43 - Fire/Fighting - Blaze - Bold nature - Quick Attack, Peck, Overheat, Double Kick, Blaze Kick, High Jump Kick  
><strong>PIDGEO<strong> - Male - Pidgeot - Level 43 - Normal/Flying - Keen Eye - Brave nature - Whirlwind, Twister, Feather Dance, Agility, Wing Attack, Aerial Ace  
>Rest unknown.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Pyrite Kimu  
><strong>Nickname:<strong> Ry, Py  
><strong>Gender: <strong>Male  
><strong>Age: <strong>13 years  
><strong>Birth Date: <strong>March 22nd (Aries), 5005  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Shaggy, sloppy, jet black, with traditional Kimu bangs, tries to keep neat but fails  
><strong>Eyes: <strong>Gold, round, sharp, friendly  
><strong>Height: <strong>5' 7"  
><strong>Blood Type: <strong>AB  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Kantoan, with hints of Sinnohian  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer, Pokedex holder  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Alpha Line _(future)_, Pallet Town Research Laboratory _(future)  
><em>**Pokedex:** 9?  
><strong>Badges:<strong> Boulder Badge, Cascade Badge, Thunder Badge  
><strong>Hometown: <strong>Pallet Town, Kanto _(future)_  
><strong>Relatives: <strong>Amethyst Kimu _(father)_, Diamonda Kimu _(mother)_, Aqua Kimu _(older sister)_, Coral Kimu _(older sister)_, Iolite Kuro _(aunt)_, Grey Kuro _(uncle)_, Arylide Kuro _(first cousin)_, Kaito Kaigun _(first cousin)_, Quartz Kuro _(first cousin)_, Onyx Kuro _(first cousin)_, Ivory Kuro _(first cousin)_, Gold Kimu Jr. _(uncle)_, Sapphira Kimu _(aunt)_, Opal Kimu _(first cousin)_, Aurum Kimu _(first cousin)_, Mica Kimu _(first cousin)_, Xenon Kimu _(first cousin)_, Jet Kimu _(first cousin)_, Soul Emeraudo _(third cousin)_, Esmeralda Daiyamondo _(fourth cousin)_, Chrome Daiyamondo _(fifth cousin)_, Peridot Daiyamondo _(fifth cousin)_, Gold Kimu Sr. _(paternal grandfather)_, and Crystal Kimu _(paternal grandmother)_  
><strong>Social Status:<strong> Single. He has confessed his feelings for Amber Rosso-Senri, but has insisted that they don't date yet.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> Brick Kimu _(Beta)_; Delta Unknown  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
><em>FEHLER<em>**_ - Male - Yanmega - Level 55? - Bug/Flying - Speed Boost - Naughty nature - Double Team, Detect, Aerial Ace, Ancient Power, Night Slash, U-Turn - MISSING_  
><strong>EX<strong> - Male - Typhlosion _(shiny)_ - Level 50 - Fire - Blaze - Impish nature - Flare Blitz, Swift, Defense Curl, Flamethrower, Flame Charge, Lava Plume  
><strong>ZAHN<strong> - Male - Zweilous - Level 54 - Dark/Dragon - Hustle - Adamant nature - Headbutt, Dragon Rage, Dark Pulse, Crunch, Dragon Pulse, Work Up  
><strong>BLITZ <strong>- Male - Luxray - Level 48 - Electric - Intimidate - Bold nature - Spark, Charge, Ice Fang, Swagger, Thunder Fang, Crunch  
><strong>LEVIATHAN<strong> - Male - Gyarados - Level 52 - Water/Flying - Intimidate - Rash nature - Thrash, Ice Fang, Aqua Tail, Hydro Pump, Hyper Beam, Dragon Pulse

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Bronze Berlitz-Palmer  
><strong>Nickname:<strong> None  
><strong>Gender: <strong>Male  
><strong>Age: <strong>15 years  
><strong>Birth Date: <strong>February 28th (Pisces), 5003**  
>Hair:<strong> Usually wild and unkempt, dark red, shaggy, can be neat  
><strong>Eyes:<strong> Silver, round, happy, bright, can be serious and calm  
><strong>Height<strong>: 5' 11"  
><strong>Blood Type:<strong> A  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Kantoan, with strong influences of Sinnohian  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer, Pokedex holder  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Alpha Line _(future)_, Pallet Town Research Laboratory _(future)  
><em>**Pokedex:** 4?  
><strong>Badges:<strong> Boulder Badge, Cascade Badge, Thunder Badge  
><strong>Hometown:<strong> Pallet Town, Kanto _(future)_  
><strong>Relatives:<strong> Plato Berlitz-Palmer _(father)_, Jade Berlitz-Palmer _(mother)_, Midori Aoao _(older half sister)_, Galena Berlitz-Palmer _(younger sister)_, Titanium Berlitz-Palmer _(younger sister)_, Perla Sakaki _(aunt)_, Argentum Sakaki _(uncle)_, Slate Sakaki _(first cousin)_, Perlita Sakaki _(first cousin)_, Pearl Palmer _(paternal grandfather)_, Platina Berlitz-Palmer _(paternal grandmother)_, Silver Sakaki _(maternal grandfather)_, Green Sakaki _(maternal grandmother)_, and Giovanni Sakaki _(maternal great grandfather)_  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single. He seems to be very fond of Opal Kimu.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> Duke Oak _(Beta)_; Delta Unknown  
><strong><span>Team:<span>**  
><strong>LUCE<strong> - Male - Lucario - Level 60 - Fighting/Steel - Inner Focus - Hardy nature - Force Palm, Shadow Claw, Bone Rush, Heal Pulse, Aura Sphere, Close Combat  
><strong>CHIM<strong> - Male - Infernape _(shiny)_ - Level 50 - Fire/Fighting - Blaze - Jolly nature - Heat Wave, Mach Punch, Flame Wheel, Feint, Punishment, Close Combat  
><strong>STAR<strong> - Female - Staraptor - Level 48 - Normal/Flying - Intimidate - Brave nature - Double Team, Aerial Ace, Take Down, Close Combat, Fly, Agility  
><strong>KABU<strong> - Male - Kabutops - Level 46 - Rock/Water - Battle Armor - Quiet nature - Aqua Jet, Mega Drain, Slash, Waterfall, Surf, X-Scissor  
>Rest unknown.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Galena Berlitz-Palmer  
><strong>Nickname:<strong> Lena  
><strong>Gender: <strong>Female  
><strong>Age: <strong>13 years  
><strong>Birth Date: <strong>June 30th (Cancer), 5005**  
>Hair: <strong>Long, straight, fiery red, usually down  
><strong>Eyes:<strong> Emerald green, round, happy, twinkling, friendly  
><strong>Height:<strong> 5' 3"  
><strong>Blood Type:<strong> A  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Kantoan, with strong influences of Sinnohian  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer, Pokedex holder  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Alpha Line _(future)_, Pallet Town Research Laboratory _(future)  
><em>**Pokedex:** 4?  
><strong>Badges:<strong> Boulder Badge, Cascade Badge, Thunder Badge  
><strong>Hometown:<strong> Pallet Town, Kanto _(future)_  
><strong>Relatives:<strong> Plato Berlitz-Palmer _(father)_, Jade Berlitz-Palmer _(mother)_, Midori Aoao _(older half sister)_, Bronze Berlitz-Palmer _(older brother)_, Titanium Berlitz-Palmer _(younger sister)_, Perla Sakaki _(aunt)_, Argentum Sakaki _(uncle)_, Slate Sakaki _(first cousin)_, Perlita Sakaki _(first cousin)_, Pearl Palmer _(paternal grandfather)_, Platina Berlitz-Palmer _(paternal grandmother)_, Silver Sakaki _(maternal grandfather)_, Green Sakaki _(maternal grandmother)_, and Giovanni Sakaki _(maternal great grandfather)_  
><strong>Single Status: <strong>Single. She doesn't seem to like anyone at the moment.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> Azure Oak _(Beta)_; Delta Unknown  
><strong><span>Team:<span>**  
><strong>BUFFY<strong> - Female - Jigglypuff - Level 61 - Normal/_Fairy_ - Cute Charm - Quirky nature - Attract, Body Slam, Gyro Ball, Return, Hyper Voice, Double Edge  
><strong>IVY<strong> - Female - Venusaur _(shiny)_ - Level 48 - Grass/Poison - Overgrow - Calm nature - Vine Whip, Solar Beam, Sweet Scent, Double Edge, Petal Dance, Worry Seed  
><strong>NEONY<strong> - Female - Lumineon - Level 46 - Water - Swift Swim - Sassy nature - Water Pulse, Safeguard, Ice Beam, Aqua Ring, Dive, Whirlpool  
><strong>DASHY<strong> - Male - Rapidash - Level 47 - Fire - Flash Fire - Brave nature - Take Down, Inferno, Agility, Fury Attack, Megahorn, Fire Blast  
>Rest unknown.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Quartz Kuro  
><strong>Nickname:<strong> None  
><strong>Gender: <strong>Female  
><strong>Age: <strong>12 years  
><strong>Birth Date: <strong>September 20th (Virgo), 5005  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Long, brown, straight, neat  
><strong>Eyes: <strong>Pink, round, gentle, calm  
><strong>Height: <strong>5' 0"  
><strong>Blood Type: <strong>O  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Kantoan, with hints of Unovan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer, Pokedex holder  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Alpha Line _(future)_, Pallet Town Research Laboratory _(future)  
><em>**Pokedex:** 3?  
><strong>Badges:<strong> Boulder Badge, Cascade Badge, Thunder Badge  
><strong>Hometown: <strong>Pallet Town, Kanto _(future)_  
><strong>Relatives: <strong>Grey Kuro _(father)_, Iolite Kuro _(mother)_, Cadet Kuro _(older half brother)_, Ruzova Mazenta _(older half sister)_, Kaito Kaigun _(older half brother)_, Arylide Kuro _(older sister)_, Onyx Kuro _(younger brother)_, Ivory Kuro _(younger sister)_, Amethyst Kimu _(uncle)_, Diamonda Kimu _(aunt)_, Aqua Kimu _(first cousin)_, Coral Kimu _(first cousin)_, Pyrite Kimu _(first cousin)_, Gold Kimu Jr. _(uncle)_, Sapphira Kimu _(aunt)_, Opal Kimu _(first cousin)_, Aurum Kimu _(first cousin)_, Mica Kimu _(first cousin)_, Xenon Kimu _(first cousin)_, Jet Kimu _(first cousin)_, Ivorline Kuro _(aunt)_, Soul Emeraudo _(second cousin)_, Esmeralda Daiyamondo _(third cousin)_, Chrome Daiyamondo _(fourth cousin)_, Peridot Daiyamondo _(fourth cousin)_, Black Kuro _(paternal grandfather)_, White Kuro _(paternal grandmother)_, Gold Kimu Sr. _(maternal grandfather)_, and Crystal Kimu _(maternal grandmother)_  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single. She has a crush on Corundum Rosso-Senri.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> Alexandrite Kuro _(Beta)_; Delta Unknown  
><strong><span>Team:<span>**  
><strong>LILLY<strong> - Female - Stoutland - Level 48 - Normal - Sand Rush - Naive nature - Take Down, Ice Fang, Crunch, Retaliate, Strength, Reversal  
><strong>ROSE<strong> - Female - Samurott _(shiny)_ - Level 51 - Water - Torrent - Quiet nature - Night Slash, Razor Shell, Water Pulse,Revenge, Aqua Jet, Aqua Tail  
><strong>VIOLET<strong> - Female - Lampent - Level 47 - Ghost/Fire - Flash Fire - Modest nature - Night Shade, Flame Burst, Imprison, Hex, Memento, Inferno  
><strong>DAFFODIL<strong> - Female - Ampharos - Level 47 - Electric - Static - Lonely nature - Flash, Electro Ball, Thunder Punch, Power Gem, Discharge, Thunderbolt  
><strong>RUE<strong> - Female - Noctowl - Level 46 - Normal/Flying - Insomnia - Gentle nature - Hypnosis, Echoed Voice, Take Down, Air Slash, Zen Headbutt, Sky Attack  
>Rest unknown.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Zircon Oak  
><strong>Nickname:<strong> Zirc, Zircy  
><strong>Gender: <strong>Male  
><strong>Age: <strong>13 years  
><strong>Birth Date: <strong>May 13th (Taurus), 5005  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Spiky, wild, brown, short  
><strong>Eye: <strong>Reddish brown, sharp, intense  
><strong>Height: <strong>5' 7"  
><strong>Blood Type:<strong> O  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Kantoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer, Pokedex holder  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Alpha Line _(future)_, Pallet Town Research Laboratory _(future)  
><em>**Pokedex:** 6?  
><strong>Badges:<strong> Boulder Badge, Cascade Badge, Thunder Badge  
><strong>Hometown: <strong>Pallet Town, Kanto _(future)_  
><strong>Relatives: <strong>Cyan Oak _(father)_, Jewel Oak _(mother)_, Turquoise Oak _(younger sister)_, Indigo Rosso _(aunt)_, Crimson Rosso _(uncle)_, Garnet Rosso _(first cousin)_, Teal Rosso _(first cousin)_, Zaffre Rosso _(first cousin)_, Lavender Rosso _(first cousin)_, Blue Oak _(paternal grandfather)_, Neela Oak _(paternal grandmother)_, Obsidian Synis _(maternal grandfather)_, Topaz Bosco _(maternal grandmother)_, and Professor Oak _(paternal great great grandfather)_  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single. His current feelings are unknown.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> Forest Oak _(Beta)_; Delta Unknown  
><strong><span>Team:<span>**  
><strong>SCYTHER<strong> - Male - Scyther - Level 55 - Bug/Flying - Technician - Docile nature - Quick Attack, Pursuit, False Swipe, Agility, Wing Attack, Fury Cutter  
><strong>WARTORTLE<strong> - Male - Blastoise _(shiny)_ - Level 49 - Water - Torrent - Careful nature - Tackle, Tail Whip, Bubble, Withdraw, Aqua Jet, Water Gun  
><strong>GOLBAT<strong> - Male - Golbat - Level 47 - Poison/Flying - Inner Focus - Lonely nature - Swift, Confuse Ray, Wing Attack, Bite, Astonish, Aerial Ace  
><strong>ELECTABUZZ<strong> - Male - Electabuzz - Level 48 - Electric - Static - Mild nature - Electro Ball, Thunder Wave, Shock Wave, Swift, Low Kick, Leer  
><strong>SANDSLASH<strong> - Male - Sandslash - Level 46 - Ground - Sand Veil - Rash nature - Crush Claw, Slash, Dig, Gyro Ball, Swords Dance, Sandstorm

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Aqua Kimu  
><strong>Nickname<strong>: None  
><strong>Gender: <strong>Female  
><strong>Age: <strong>18 years  
><strong>Birth Date: <strong>April 3rd (Aries), 5000  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Long, straight, platinum blonde, usually down  
><strong>Eyes: <strong>One pale blue, one silver, sharp, calm  
><strong>Height: <strong>5' 10"  
><strong>Blood Type: <strong>AB  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Unovan, with hints of Johtoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer, Pokedex holder  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Alpha Line _(future)_, Pallet Town Research Laboratory _(future)  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>Trio Badge, Basic Badge, Insect Badge, Bolt Badge, Quake Badge, Jet Badge, Freeze Badge, Legend Badge, Boulder Badge, Cascade Badge, Thunder Badge, Rainbow Badge, Soul Badge, Marsh Badge, Volcano Badge  
><strong>Hometown: <strong>Mount Silver, Johto _(future)_  
><strong>Relatives: <strong>Amethyst Kimu _(father)_, Diamonda Kimu _(mother)_, Coral Kimu _(younger sister)_, Pyrite Kimu _(younger brother)_, Iolite Kuro _(aunt)_, Grey Kuro _(uncle)_, Arylide Kuro _(first cousin)_, Kaito Kaigun _(first cousin)_, Quartz Kuro _(first cousin)_, Onyx Kuro _(first cousin)_, Ivory Kuro _(first cousin)_, Gold Kimu Jr. _(uncle)_, Sapphira Kimu _(aunt)_, Opal Kimu _(first cousin)_, Aurum Kimu _(first cousin)_, Mica Kimu _(first cousin)_, Xenon Kimu _(first cousin)_, Jet Kimu _(first cousin)_, Soul Emeraudo _(second cousin)_, Esmeralda Daiyamondo _(third cousin)_, Chrome Daiyamondo _(fourth cousin)_, Peridot Daiyamondo _(fourth cousin)_, Gold Kimu Sr. _(paternal grandfather)_, and Crystal Kimu (_paternal grandmother)_  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single. She doesn't seem to be interested in romance.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> Chrysocolla Kimu _(Beta)_; Delta Unknown  
><strong><span>Team:<span>**  
><strong>TWITCH<strong> - Female - Glalie - Level 100 - Ice - Inner Focus - Quirky nature - Powder Snow, Bite, Hail, Icy Wind, Blizzard, Sheer Cold  
><strong>BLITZY<strong> - Male - Zebstrika - Level 92 - Electric - Lightningrod - Brave nature - Discharge, Flame Charge, Volt Switch, Hyper Beam, Wild Charge, Thunder  
><strong>GECKO<strong> - Male - Sceptile - Level 91 - Grass - Overgrow - Docile nature - Frenzy Plant, Acrobatics, Leaf Blade, Dig, X-Scissor, Detect  
><strong>SALLY<strong> - Female - Salamence - Level 97 - Dragon/Flying - Intimidate - Brave nature - Fly, Dragon Claw, Dragon Dance, Bulldoze, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse  
><strong>TESLA<strong> - Female - Gothitelle - Level 91 - Psychic - Frisk - Mild nature - Shadow Ball, Psychic, Thunderbolt, Payback, Toxic, Future Sight  
><strong>BLADES<strong> - Male - Kabutops - Level 91 - Rock/Water - Battle Armor - Hardy nature - Smack Down, Surf, Mega Drain, Aqua Jet, Ancient Power, Blizzard

* * *

><p><strong>Name:<strong> Carmine Kazuo  
><strong>Nickname:<strong> Carmy, Carm  
><strong>Gender:<strong> Female  
><strong>Age:<strong> 13 years  
><strong>Birth Date:<strong> December 24th (Capricorn), 5004  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Long, wavy, jet black  
><strong>Eyes:<strong> Red, round, happy, friendly  
><strong>Height: <strong>5' 4"**  
>Blood Type<strong>: O  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Unovan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer, Pokedex holder  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Alpha Line _(future)_, Pallet Town Research Laboratory _(future)  
><em>**Pokedex:** 6?  
><strong>Badges: <strong>Boulder Badge, Cascade Badge, Thunder Badge  
><strong>Hometown:<strong> Nuvema Town, Unova _(future)_  
><strong>Relatives:<strong> Shirou Kazuo _(father)_, Cerise Kazuo _(mother)_, Finnian Kazuo _(older brother)_, Emery Kazuo _(younger sister)_, Sable Kazuo _(younger sister)_, Topaz Rosso-Senri _(aunt)_, Rubin Senri _(uncle)_, Zlato Ama _(first cousin)_, Copal Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Corundum Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Amber Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Lapis Lazuli Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Blaze Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Bolt Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Crimson Rosso _(uncle)_, Indigo Rosso _(aunt)_, Garnet Rosso _(first cousin)_, Teal Rosso _(first cousin)_, Zaffre Rosso _(first cousin)_, Lavender Rosso _(first cousin)_, Orange Rosso _(uncle)_, Red Rosso _(maternal grandfather)_, and Yellow Rosso _(maternal grandmother)_  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single. She has a crush on Pyrite Kimu.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> Magenta Kimu _(Beta)_; Delta Unknown  
><strong><span>Team:<span>**  
><strong>CAROLINA<strong> - Female - Emolga - Level 54 - Electric/Flying - Static - Rash nature - Attract, Double Team, Spark, Aerial Ace, Volt Switch, Discharge  
><strong>FLORIDA<strong> - Female - Serperior _(shiny)_ - Level 48 - Grass - Overgrow - Sassy nature - Vine Whip, Solar Beam, Leaf Tornado, Leaf Blade, Giga Drain  
><strong>ARIZONA<strong> - Female - Vulpix - Level 47 - Fire - Flash Fire - Modest nature - Will-O-Wisp, Hex, Payback, Flamethrower, Extrasensory, Fire Blast  
><strong>CALIFORNIA<strong> - Female - Dewgong - Level 46 - Water/Ice - Hydration - Lonely nature - Rest, Aurora Beam, Aqua Jet, Brine, Sheer Cold, Take Down  
><strong>VIRGINIA<strong> - Female - Archeops - Level 46 - Rock/Flying - Defeatist - Naughty nature - Steel Wing, Double Team, Ancient Power, Dragon Breath, Crunch, Fly

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Dodger Kaigun  
><strong>Nickname:<strong> Dodge  
><strong>Gender: <strong>Male  
><strong>Age: <strong>13 years  
><strong>Birth Date: <strong>January 30th (Aquarius), 5005**  
>Hair: <strong>Short, shaggy, blue, slightly spiky  
><strong>Eyes:<strong> Blue, round, sharp, calm  
><strong>Height:<strong> 5' 6"  
><strong>Blood Type:<strong> O  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Kantoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Alpha Line _(future)__  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>Boulder Badge, Cascade Badge  
><strong>Hometown:<strong> Saffron City, Kanto _(future)_  
><strong>Relatives:<strong> Navy Kaigun _(father)_, Safaia Kaigun _(mother)_, Kaito Kaigun _(older half brother)_, and Brooke Kaigun _(younger sister)_  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single, and has no intentions to change it. He seems to have hatred for Carnelian Marun, but is it really hate?  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> Marine Kaigun _(Beta)_; Delta Unknown  
><strong><span>Team:<span>**  
><strong>VAPOREON <strong>- Male - Vaporeon - Level 62 - Water - Water Absorb - Mischievous nature - Surf, Shadow Ball, Aurora Beam, Aqua Ring, Acid Armor, Muddy Water  
><strong>SAMUROTT<strong> - Male - Samurott - Level 61 - Water - Torrent - Adamant nature - Ice Beam, Razor Shell, Water Pulse, Revenge, Aqua Jet, Slash  
><strong>GOLDUCK<strong> - Female - Golduck - Level 53 - Water - Damp - Calm nature - Water Pulse, Screech, Zen Headbutt, Aqua Tail, Psychic, Waterfall  
><strong>CARRACOSTA<strong> - Female - Carracosta - Level 49 - Water/Rock - Solid Rock - Sassy nature - Aqua Jet, Ancient Power, Crunch, Brine, Shell Smash, Aqua Tail

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Carnelian Marun  
><strong>Nickname:<strong> Carne**  
>Gender: <strong>Female  
><strong>Age: <strong>12 years  
><strong>Birth Date: <strong>November 25th (Sagittarius), 5005  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Straight, slightly spiky, dark red, goes down to shoulders  
><strong>Eyes: <strong>Red, round, bright  
><strong>Height: <strong>5' 4"  
><strong>Blood Type: <strong>A  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Kantoan, with hints of Johtoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Alpha Line _(future)__  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>Boulder Badge, Thunder Badge  
><strong>Hometown: <strong>Cinnabar Island, Kanto _(future)_  
><strong>Relatives: <strong>Maroon Marun _(father)_, Scarlet Marun _(mother)_, Altan Marun _(older half brother)_, Red Rosso _(ancestor)_, and Yellow Rosso _(ancestor)_  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single. She has admitted to having a crush on Dodger Kaigun.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> N/A  
><strong><span>Team:<span>**  
><strong>FLAREON<strong> - Female - Flareon - Level 62 - Fire - Flash Fire - Hasty nature - Moves unknown  
><strong>EMBOAR<strong> - Female - Emboar - Level 60 - Fire/Fighting - Blaze - Lax nature - Moves unknown  
>Rest unknown.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Denver Aoao Faith  
><strong>Nickname:<strong> None**  
>Gender: <strong>Male  
><strong>Age: <strong>15 years  
><strong>Birth Date: <strong>August 23rd (Virgo), 5003  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Messy, straight, brown  
><strong>Eyes: <strong>Green, sharp, mischievous  
><strong>Height: <strong>5' 7"  
><strong>Blood Type: <strong>B  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Sinnohian  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Alpha Line _(future)__  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>Boulder Badge, Cascade Badge, Thunder Badge  
><strong>Hometown: <strong>Twinleaf Town, Sinnoh _(future)_  
><strong>Relatives: <strong>Verdant Aoao _(adoptive father)_, Ross Faith _(adoptive father)_, and Midori Aoao _(adoptive sister)_  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single, and doesn't seem to be interested.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> N/A  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
>LEAFEON <strong>- Male - Leafeon - Level 62 - Grass - Leaf Guard - Calm nature - Moves unknown**  
>SERPERIOR <strong>- Male - Serperior - Level 61 - Grass - Overgrow - Naughty nature - Moves unknown  
>Rest unknown.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Name:<strong> Copal Rosso-Senri  
><strong>Nickname:<strong> None  
><strong>Gender:<strong> Female  
><strong>Age:<strong> 16 years  
><strong>Birth Date:<strong> September 17th (Virgo), 5002  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Long, straight, black, neat, usually up in ponytail  
><strong>Eyes:<strong> Blue, round, bright, friendly  
><strong>Height: <strong>5' 6"**  
>Blood Type<strong>: O  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Unovan, with hints of Kantoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer, Coordinator  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Alpha Line _(future)_, Contest Society, Ribbon Syndicate_  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>Trio Badge, Basic Badge, Insect Badge, Bolt Badge, Quake Badge, Jet Badge, Freeze Badge, Legend Badge, Boulder Badge, Cascade Badge, Thunder Badge, Rainbow Badge, Soul Badge, Marsh Badge, Volcano Badge  
><strong>Hometown:<strong> Pokemon League, Unova _(future)_  
><strong>Relatives:<strong> Rubin Senri _(father)_, Topaz Rosso-Senri _(mother)_, Zlato Ama _(older half brother)_, Corundum Rosso-Senri _(younger brother)_, Amber Rosso-Senri _(younger sister)_, Lapis Lazuli Rosso-Senri _(younger sister)_, Blaze Rosso-Senri _(younger brother)_, Bolt Rosso-Senri _(younger brother)_, Cerise Kazuo _(aunt)_, Shirou Kazuo _(uncle)_, Finnian Kazuo _(first cousin)_, Carmine Kazuo _(first cousin)_, Emery Kazuo _(first cousin)_, Sable Kazuo _(first cousin)_, Crimson Rosso _(uncle)_, Indigo Rosso _(aunt)_, Garnet Rosso _(first cousin)_, Teal Rosso _(first cousin)_, Zaffre Rosso _(first cousin)_, Lavender Rosso _(first cousin)_, Sapphira Kimu _(aunt)_, Gold Kimu Jr. _(uncle)_, Opal Kimu _(first cousin)_, Altan Marun _(first cousin)_, Aurum Kimu _(first cousin)_, Mica Kimu _(first cousin)_, Xenon Kimu _(first cousin)_, Jet Kimu _(first cousin)_, Orange Rosso _(uncle)_, Ruby Senri _(paternal grandfather)_, Sapphire Senri _(paternal grandmother)_, Red Rosso _(maternal grandfather)_, Yellow Rosso _(maternal grandmother)_, Norman Senri _(paternal great grandfather)_, and Professor Birch _(paternal great grandfather)_  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>In a relationship with Arylide Kuro. She has finally come to terms with her sexuality. She has previously dated Rai Surge.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> Xanthe Kimu _(Beta)_; Delta Unknown  
><strong><span>Team:<span>**  
><strong>EON<strong> - Male - Umbreon _(shiny)_ - Level 89 - Dark - Synchronize - Jolly nature - Dark Pulse, Shadow Ball, Iron Tail, Quick Attack, Toxic, Moonlight  
><strong>CHARRA<strong> - Female - Charizard - Level 87 - Fire/Flying - Blaze - Quirky nature - Flamethrower, Fly, Inferno, Air Slash, Fire Fang, Sky Drop  
><strong>MINNY<strong> - Female - Minun - Level 85 - Electric - Minus - Naughty nature - Spark, Copycat, Electro Ball, Wish, Thunder, Fake Tears  
><strong>STARY<strong> - Unknown - Starmie - Level 86 - Water/Psychic - Natural Cure - Quiet nature - Hydro Pump, Power Gem, Blizzard, Waterfall, Recover, Psychic  
><strong>VOIRA<strong> - Female - Gardevoir - Level 86 - Psychic/_Fairy_ - Trace - Gentle nature - Psychic, Energy Ball, Future Sight, Teleport, Heal Pulse, Hyper Beam  
><strong>AIRI<strong> - Female - Dragonair - Level 89 - Dragon - Shed Skin - Naive nature - Dragon Pulse, Surf, Dragon Rush, Outrage, Safeguard, Dragon Tail

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Arylide Kuro  
><strong>Nickname:<strong> Aryl  
><strong>Gender: <strong>Female  
><strong>Age: <strong>16 years  
><strong>Birth Date: <strong>August 25th (Virgo), 5002  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Thick, straight, sloppy, black, with traditional Kimu bangs, usually up in short ponytail  
><strong>Eyes: <strong>Gold, round, sharp, friendly, mischievous  
><strong>Height: <strong>5' 9"  
><strong>Blood Type: <strong>O  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Unovan, with hints of Johtoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Alpha Line _(future)__  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>Trio Badge, Basic Badge, Insect Badge, Bolt Badge, Quake Badge, Jet Badge, Freeze Badge, Legend Badge, Boulder Badge, Cascade Badge, Thunder Badge, Rainbow Badge, Soul Badge, Marsh Badge, Volcano Badge  
><strong>Hometown: <strong>Pokemon League, Unova _(future)_  
><strong>Relatives: <strong>Grey Kuro _(father)_, Iolite Kuro _(mother)_, Cadet Kuro _(older half brother)_, Ruzova Mazenta _(older half sister)_, Kaito Kaigun _(older half brother)_, Quartz Kuro _(younger sister)_, Onyx Kuro _(younger brother)_, Ivory Kuro _(younger sister)_, Amethyst Kimu _(uncle)_, Diamonda Kimu _(aunt)_, Aqua Kimu _(first cousin)_, Coral Kimu _(first cousin)_, Pyrite Kimu _(first cousin)_, Gold Kimu Jr. _(uncle)_, Sapphira Kimu _(aunt)_, Opal Kimu _(first cousin)_, Aurum Kimu _(first cousin)_, Mica Kimu _(first cousin)_, Xenon Kimu _(first cousin)_, Jet Kimu _(first cousin)_, Ivorline Kuro _(aunt)_, Soul Emeraudo _(second cousin)_, Esmeralda Daiyamondo _(third cousin)_, Chrome Daiyamondo _(fourth cousin)_, Peridot Daiyamondo _(fourth cousin)_, Black Kuro _(paternal grandfather)_, White Kuro _(paternal grandmother)_, Gold Kimu Sr. _(maternal grandfather)_, and Crystal Kimu _(maternal grandmother)_  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>In a relationship with Copal Rosso-Senri. She seems to have had a past relationship that ended badly.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> Astra Kaigun _(Beta)_; Delta Unknown  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
>FOX <strong>- Female - Zorua - Level 90 - Dark - Illusion - Mischievous nature - Night Daze, Foul Play, Thief, Attract, Agility, Cut  
><strong>SAMURAI "SAMMY"<strong> - Male - Samurott - Level 88 - Water - Torrent - Serious nature - Hydro Pump, Revenge, Razor Shell, Slash, Aqua Tail, Waterfall**  
>MAMMOTH<strong> - Male - Mamoswine - Level 87 - Ice/Ground - Snow Cloak - Jolly nature - Blizzard, Earthquake, Ancient Power, Ice Fang, Giga Impact, Ice Beam  
><strong>BAT<strong> - Female - Swoobat - Level 87 - Psychic/Flying - Unaware - Sassy nature - Psychic, Air Slash, Heart Stamp, Shadow Ball, Psyshock, Attract**  
>TARANTULA<strong> - Female - Galvantula - Level 86 - Bug/Electric - Compoundeyes - Quiet nature - Bug Buzz, Discharge, Signal Beam, Electroweb, Sucker Punch, Thunderbolt**  
>BUCK<strong> - Male - Sawsbuck - Level 85 - Grass/Normal - Sap Sipper - Brave nature - Horn Leech, Double Edge, Double Kick, Aromatherapy, Energy Ball, Solar Beam

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Coral Kimu  
><strong>Nickname:<strong> Cora, Cori  
><strong>Gender: <strong>Female  
><strong>Age: <strong>16 years  
><strong>Birth Date: <strong>July 25th (Leo), 5002  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Long, smooth, neat, light brown  
><strong>Eyes: <strong>Red, sharp, calm  
><strong>Height: <strong>5' 8"  
><strong>Blood Type: <strong>AB  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Unovan, with hints of Sinnohian  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Alpha Line _(future)__  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>Trio Badge, Basic Badge, Insect Badge, Bolt Badge, Quake Badge, Jet Badge, Freeze Badge, Legend Badge, Boulder Badge, Cascade Badge, Thunder Badge, Rainbow Badge, Soul Badge, Marsh Badge, Volcano Badge  
><strong>Hometown: <strong>Pokemon League, Unova _(future)_  
><strong>Relatives: <strong>Amethyst Kimu _(father)_, Diamonda Kimu _(mother)_, Aqua Kimu _(older sister)_, Pyrite Kimu _(younger brother)_, Iolite Kuro _(aunt)_, Grey Kuro _(uncle)_, Kaito Kaigun _(first cousin)_, Arylide Kuro _(first cousin)_, Quartz Kuro _(first cousin)_, Onyx Kuro _(first cousin)_, Ivory Kuro _(first cousin)_, Gold Kimu Jr. _(uncle)_, Sapphira Kimu _(aunt)_, Opal Kimu _(first cousin)_, Aurum Kimu _(first cousin)_, Mica Kimu _(first cousin)_, Xenon Kimu _(first cousin)_, Jet Kimu _(first cousin)_, Soul Emeraudo _(second cousin)_, Esmeralda Daiyamondo _(third cousin)_, Chrome Daiyamondo _(fourth cousin)_, Peridot Daiyamondo _(fourth cousin)_, Gold Kimu Sr. _(paternal grandfather)_, and Crystal Kimu _(paternal grandmother)_  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single. She seems to be rather fond of Finnian Kazuo.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> Pembe Kimu _(Beta)_; Delta Unknown  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
>FURRY-CHAN <strong>- Female - Furret - Level 88 - Normal - Keen Eye - Docile nature - Ice Beam, Hyper Voice, Sucker Punch, Slam, Strength, Shadow Claw**  
>MEGA-KUN <strong>- Male - Meganium - Level 86 - Grass - Overgrow - Lonely nature - Solar Beam, Aromatherapy, Body Slam, Petal Dance, Energy Ball, Vine Whip  
><strong>RAY-KUN<strong> - Male - Luxray - Level 85 - Electric - Intimidate - Bold nature - Wild Charge, Thunder, Spark, Iron Tail, Thunder Fang, Crunch**  
>TOGIE-CHAN <strong>- Female - Togekiss - Level 85 - Normal/Flying - Serene Grace - Jolly nature - Fly, Aura Sphere, Extreme Speed, Air Slash, Psychic, Ancient Power**  
>DOOM-KUN <strong>- Male - Houndoom - Level 85 - Dark/Fire - Flash Fire - Adamant nature - Flamethrower, Dark Pulse, Inferno, Crunch, Fire Fang, Thunder Fang

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Cadet Kuro  
><strong>Nickname:<strong> Cade  
><strong>Gender: <strong>Male  
><strong>Age: <strong>18 years  
><strong>Birth Date: <strong>July 29th (Leo), 5000  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Short, slight messy, brown  
><strong>Eyes: <strong>Red, round, happy, friendly  
><strong>Height: <strong>6' 1"  
><strong>Blood Type: <strong>O  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Unovan, with hints of Kantoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Alpha Line _(future)__  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>Trio Badge, Basic Badge, Insect Badge, Bolt Badge, Quake Badge, Jet Badge, Freeze Badge, Legend Badge, Boulder Badge, Cascade Badge, Thunder Badge, Rainbow Badge, Soul Badge, Marsh Badge, Volcano Badge  
><strong>Hometown: <strong>Viridian City, Kanto _(future)_  
><strong>Relatives: <strong>Grey Kuro _(father)_, Pink Mazenta _(mother)_, Iolite Kuro _(stepmother)_, Ruzova Mazenta _(younger sister)_, Arylide Kuro _(younger half sister)_, Quartz Kuro _(younger half sister)_, Onyx Kuro _(younger half brother)_, Ivory Kuro _(younger half sister)_, Black Kuro _(paternal grandfather)_, and White Kuro _(paternal grandmother)_  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>In a relationship with Hyacinth Murasaki. They have been dating for a few years.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> N/A  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
><strong>UKNOWN

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Finnian Kazuo  
><strong>Nickname:<strong> Finn, Finny  
><strong>Gender: <strong>Male  
><strong>Age: <strong>16 years  
><strong>Birth Date: <strong>July 2nd (Cancer), 5002  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Wild curly, strawberry blonde, messy, shaggy  
><strong>Eyes: <strong>Pale blue, round, bright, friendly  
><strong>Height: <strong>6' 0"  
><strong>Blood Type: <strong>O  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Unovan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Alpha Line _(future)__  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>Trio Badge, Basic Badge, Insect Badge, Bolt Badge, Quake Badge, Jet Badge, Freeze Badge, Legend Badge, Boulder Badge, Cascade Badge, Thunder Badge, Rainbow Badge, Soul Badge, Marsh Badge, Volcano Badge  
><strong>Hometown: <strong>Nuvema Town, Unova _(future)_  
><strong>Relatives: <strong>Shirou Kazuo _(father)_, Cerise Kazuo _(mother)_, Carmine Kazuo _(younger sister)_, Emery Kazuo _(younger sister)_, Sable Kazuo _(younger sister)_, Topaz Rosso-Senri _(aunt)_, Rubin Senri _(uncle)_, Zlato Ama _(first cousin)_, Copal Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Corundum Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Amber Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Lapis Lazuli Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Blaze Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Bolt Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Crimson Rosso _(uncle)_, Indigo Rosso _(aunt)_, Garnet Rosso _(first cousin)_, Teal Rosso _(first cousin)_, Zaffre Rosso _(first cousin)_, Lavender Rosso _(first cousin)_, Orange Rosso _(uncle)_, Red Rosso _(maternal grandfather)_, and Yellow Rosso _(maternal grandmother)_  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single. He seems to be very fond of Coral Kimu.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> Ridley Kimu _(Beta)_; Delta Unknown  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
><strong>UKNOWN

* * *

><p><strong>Name:<strong> Snow Vin  
><strong>Nickname:<strong> None  
><strong>Gender:<strong> Female  
><strong>Age:<strong> 14 years  
><strong>Birth Date:<strong> March 4th (Pisces), 5004  
><strong>Hair:<strong> Snow blue, wild, slightly unkempt, long, slight case of Kimu bangs  
><strong>Eyes:<strong> Dark, dark blue, round, sharp, calm, twinkling  
><strong>Height:<strong> 5' 5"  
><strong>Blood Type:<strong> O  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Unovan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Alpha Line _(future)_, Unova League  
><strong>Pokedex:<strong> N/A  
><strong>Badges:<strong> Basic Badge, Toxic Badge, Insect Badge, Bolt Badge, Quake Badge, Jet Badge, Legend Badge, Wake Badge  
><strong>Hometown:<strong> Nuvema Town, Unova _(future)_  
><strong>Relatives:<strong> Alene Vin _(father)_, Katherine Vin _(mother)_, Kai Vin _(younger brother)_, Alice Vin _(younger sister)_, Jay Vin _(younger brother)_, Elizabeth Willow _(aunt)_, Magnus Pyrrhus _(uncle)_, Fervore Pyrrhus _(first cousin)_, Nina Pyrrhus _(first cousin)_, and Tyson Pyrrhus _(first cousin)_  
><strong>Social Status:<strong> Single, but that's bound to change.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> N/A  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
><strong>UNKNOWN

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Lapis Lazuli Rosso-Senri  
><strong>Nickname:<strong> Lazuli, Laz  
><strong>Gender: <strong>Female  
><strong>Age: <strong>10 years  
><strong>Birth Date: <strong>April 21st (Taurus), 5008  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Short, messy, brown  
><strong>Eyes: <strong>Blue, round, bright, happy  
><strong>Height: <strong>4' 11"  
><strong>Blood Type: <strong>O  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Kantoan, with hints of Hoennian  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Student  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Alpha Line _(future)__  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>None  
><strong>Hometown: <strong>Pallet Town, Kanto _(future)_  
><strong>Relatives: <strong>Rubin Senri _(father)_, Topaz Rosso-Senri _(mother)_, Zlato Ama _(older half brother)_, Copal Rosso-Senri _(older sister)_, Corundum Rosso-Senri _(older brother)_, Amber Rosso-Senri _(older sister)_, Blaze Rosso-Senri _(younger brother)_, Bolt Rosso-Senri _(younger brother)_, Cerise Kazuo _(aunt)_, Shirou Kazuo _(uncle)_, Finnian Kazuo _(first cousin)_, Carmine Kazuo _(first cousin)_, Emery Kazuo _(first cousin)_, Sable Kazuo _(first cousin)_, Crimson Rosso _(uncle)_, Indigo Rosso _(aunt)_, Garnet Rosso _(first cousin)_, Teal Rosso _(first cousin)_, Zaffre Rosso _(first cousin)_, Lavender Rosso _(first cousin)_, Sapphira Kimu _(aunt)_, Gold Kimu Jr. _(uncle)_, Opal Kimu _(first cousin)_, Altan Marun _(first cousin)_, Aurum Kimu _(first cousin)_, Mica Kimu _(first cousin)_, Xenon Kimu _(first cousin)_, Jet Kimu _(first cousin)_, Orange Rosso _(uncle)_, Ruby Senri _(paternal grandfather)_, Sapphire Senri _(paternal grandmother)_, Red Rosso _(maternal grandfather)_, Yellow Rosso _(maternal grandmother)_, Norman Senri _(paternal great grandfather)_, and Professor Birch _(paternal great grandfather)_  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single, of course. She has a crush on Onyx Kuro.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> Vanilla Kimu _(Beta)_; Delta Unknown  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
>FLUFFY<strong> - Female - Poochyena - Level ? - Dark - Quick Feet - Jolly nature - Moves unknown

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Titanium Berlitz-Palmer  
><strong>Nickname:<strong> None  
><strong>Gender: <strong>Female  
><strong>Age: <strong>10 years  
><strong>Birth Date: <strong>January 21st (Aquarius), 5008**  
>Hair: <strong>Long, straight, black, even bangs, with gold hair decs  
><strong>Eye Color: <strong>Silver, sharp, serious  
><strong>Height: <strong>4' 8"  
><strong>Blood Type: <strong>A  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Sinnohian  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Student  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Alpha Line _(future)__  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>None  
><strong>Hometown: <strong>Pallet Town, Kanto _(future)_  
><strong>Relatives: <strong>Plato Berlitz-Palmer _(father)_, Jade Berlitz-Palmer _(mother)_, Bronze Berlitz-Palmer _(older brother)_, Midori Aoao _(older half sister)_, Galena Berlitz-Palmer _(older sister)_, Perla Sakaki _(aunt)_, Argentum Sakaki _(uncle)_, Slate Sakaki _(first cousin)_, Perlita Sakaki _(first cousin)_, Pearl Palmer _(paternal grandfather)_, Platina Berlitz-Palmer _(paternal grandmother)_, Silver Sakaki _(maternal grandfather)_, Green Sakaki _(maternal grandmother)_, and Giovanni Sakaki _(maternal great grandfather)_  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single, of course. Her current feelings are unknown.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> Sky Oak _(Beta)_; Delta Unknown  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
>PONYTA<strong> - Female - Ponyta - Level ? - Fire - Flash Fire - Calm nature - Moves unknown

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Onyx Kuro  
><strong>Nickname:<strong> Ony, On  
><strong>Gender: <strong>Male  
><strong>Age: <strong>10 years  
><strong>Birth Date: <strong>July 17th (Cancer), 5008  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Short, messy, black  
><strong>Eyes: <strong>Brown, round, excited  
><strong>Height: <strong>5' 2"  
><strong>Blood Type: <strong>O  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Kantoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Student  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Alpha Line _(future)__  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>None  
><strong>Hometown: <strong>Pallet Town, Kanto _(future)_  
><strong>Relatives: <strong>Grey Kuro _(father)_, Iolite Kuro _(mother)_, Cadet Kuro _(older half brother)_, Ruzova Mazenta _(older half sister)_, Kaito Kaigun _(older half brother)_, Arylide Kuro _(older sister)_, Quartz Kuro _(older sister)_, Ivory Kuro _(younger sister)_, Amethyst Kimu _(uncle)_, Diamonda Kimu _(aunt)_, Aqua Kimu _(first cousin)_, Coral Kimu _(first cousin)_, Pyrite Kimu _(first cousin)_, Gold Kimu Jr. _(uncle)_, Sapphira Kimu _(aunt)_, Opal Kimu _(first cousin)_, Aurum Kimu _(first cousin)_, Mica Kimu _(first cousin)_, Xenon Kimu _(first cousin)_, Jet Kimu _(first cousin)_, Ivorline Kuro _(aunt)_, Soul Emeraudo _(second cousin)_, Esmeralda Daiyamondo _(third cousin)_, Chrome Daiyamondo _(fourth cousin)_, Peridot Daiyamondo _(fourth cousin)_, Black Kuro _(paternal grandfather)_, White Kuro _(paternal grandmother)_, Gold Kimu Sr. _(maternal grandfather)_, and Crystal Kimu _(maternal grandmother)_  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single, of course. His current feelings are unknown.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> Obsidian Kuro _(Beta)_; Delta Unknown  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
>AVI<strong> - Male - Rufflet - Level ? - Normal/Flying - Sheer Force - Lonely nature - Moves unknown

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Chrome Daiyamondo  
><strong>Nickname:<strong> None  
><strong>Gender: <strong>Male  
><strong>Age: <strong>10 years  
><strong>Birth Date: <strong>October 16th (Libra), 5007  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Straight, brown, neat, short  
><strong>Eyes: <strong>Hazel, round, calm  
><strong>Height: <strong>4' 6"  
><strong>Blood Type:<strong> O  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Student  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Alpha Line _(future)__  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>None  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Kantoan  
><strong>Hometown: <strong>Pallet Town, Kanto _(future)_  
><strong>Relatives: <strong>Jasper Daiyamondo _(father)_, Esmeralda Daiyamondo _(mother)_, Peridot Daiyamondo _(younger sister)_, Diomond Daiyamondo _(uncle)_, Violette Daiyamondo _(aunt)_, Emeraldo Emeraudo _(uncle)_, Heart Emerarudo _(aunt)_, Crystal Kimu _(second cousin)_, Amethyst Kimu _(third cousin)_, Iolite Kimu _(third cousin)_, Gold Kimu Jr. _(third cousin)_, Poppy Kimu _(third cousin)_, Aqua Kimu _(fourth cousin)_, Coral Kimu _(fourth cousin)_, Pyrite Kimu _(fourth cousin)_, Kaito Kaigun _(fourth cousin)_, Arylide Kuro _(fourth cousin)_, Quartz Kuro _(fourth cousin)_, Onyx Kuro _(fourth cousin)_, Ivory Kuro _(fourth cousin)_, Opal Kimu _(fourth cousin)_, Aurum Kimu _(fourth cousin)_, Mica Kimu _(fourth cousin)_, Xenon Kimu _(fourth cousin)_, Jet Kimu _(fourth cousin)_, Diamond Daiyamondo _(paternal grandfather)_, Ianthe Daiyamondo _(paternal grandmother)_, Emerald Emeraudo _(maternal grandfather)_, Soul Emeraudo _(maternal grandmother)_, and Johanna Daiyamondo _(paternal great grandmother)_  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single. His current feelings are unknown.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> Bismuth Senri _(Beta)_; Delta Unknown  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
><strong>UNKNOWN.

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Alton Chrise  
><strong>Nickname:<strong> None  
><strong>Gender: <strong>Male  
><strong>Age: <strong>13 years  
><strong>Birth Date: <strong>November 19th (Scorpio), 5004  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Straight, black, short, neat  
><strong>Eyes: <strong>Green, sharp, critical  
><strong>Height: <strong>5' 0"  
><strong>Blood Type:<strong> B  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Student  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Alpha Line _(future)__  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>None  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Kantoan, with hints of Unovan  
><strong>Hometown: <strong>Pallet Town, Kanto _(future)_  
><strong>Relatives: <strong>Alizarin Chrise _(father)_, Viola Chrise _(mother)_, Akane Chrise _(twin sister)_, Violet Chrise _(younger sister)_, Ion Chrise _(younger brother)_, Rosalind Jin _(aunt)_, Evan Jin _(uncle)_, Hyacinth Murasaki _(aunt)_, and Professor Murasaki _(maternal grandfather)_  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single. His current feelings are unknown.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> N/A  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
><strong>UNKNOWN

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Akane Chrise  
><strong>Nickname:<strong> None  
><strong>Gender: <strong>Female  
><strong>Age: <strong>13 years  
><strong>Birth Date: <strong>November 19th (Scorpio), 5004  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Straight, even, neat, black, goes down to shoulders  
><strong>Eyes: <strong>Purple, sharp, critical  
><strong>Height: <strong>5' 3"  
><strong>Blood Type:<strong> B  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Kantoan, with hints of Unovan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Student  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Alpha Line _(future)__  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>None  
><strong>Hometown: <strong>Pallet Town, Kanto _(future)_  
><strong>Relatives: <strong>Alizarin Chrise _(father)_, Viola Chrise _(mother)_, Alton Chrise _(twin brother)_, Violet Chrise _(younger sister)_, Ion Chrise _(younger brother)_, Rosalind Jin _(aunt)_, Evan Jin _(uncle)_, Hyacinth Murasaki _(aunt)_, and Professor Murasaki _(maternal grandfather)_  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single. Her current feelings are unknown.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> N/A  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
>ARK<strong> - Male - Archen - Level ? - Rock/Flying - Defeatist - Bold nature - Moves unknown

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Violet Chrise  
><strong>Nickname:<strong> Vi, Vivi  
><strong>Gender: <strong>Female  
><strong>Age: <strong>11 years  
><strong>Birth Date: <strong>March 30th (Aries), 5007  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Wavy, wild, purple, goes halfway down neck  
><strong>Eyes: <strong>Purple, sharp, bright  
><strong>Height: <strong>4' 9"  
><strong>Blood Type:<strong> B  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Unovan, with hints of Kantoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Student  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Alpha Line _(future)__  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>None  
><strong>Hometown: <strong>Pallet Town, Kanto _(future)_  
><strong>Relatives: <strong>Alizarin Chrise _(father)_, Viola Chrise _(mother)_, Alton Chrise _(older brother)_, Akane Chrise _(older sister)_, Ion Chrise _(twin brother)_, Rosalind Jin _(aunt)_, Evan Jin _(uncle)_, Hyacinth Murasaki _(aunt)_, and Professor Murasaki _(maternal grandfather)_  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single. Her current feelings are unknown.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> N/A  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
>VINNIE<strong> - Male - Venonat - Level ? - Bug/Poison - Tinted Lens - Naughty nature - Moves unknown

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Ion Chrise  
><strong>Nickname:<strong> None  
><strong>Gender: <strong>Male  
><strong>Age: <strong>11 years  
><strong>Birth Date: <strong>March 30th (Aries), 5007  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Wavy, wild, short, purple  
><strong>Eye Color: <strong>Green, sharp, bright  
><strong>Height: <strong>5' 0"  
><strong>Blood Type:<strong> B  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Unovan, with hints of Kantoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Student  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Alpha Line _(future)__  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>None  
><strong>Hometown: <strong>Pallet Town, Kanto _(future)_  
><strong>Relatives: <strong>Alizarin Chrise _(father)_, Viola Chrise _(mother)_, Alton Chrise _(older brother)_, Akane Chrise _(older sister)_, Violet Chrise _(twin sister)_, Rosalind Jin _(aunt)_, Evan Jin _(uncle)_, Hyacinth Murasaki _(aunt)_, and Professor Murasaki _(maternal grandfather)_  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single, of course.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> N/A  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
><strong>Unknown

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Blaze Rosso-Senri  
><strong>Nickname: <strong>None  
><strong>Gender: <strong>Male  
><strong>Age: <strong>6 years  
><strong>Birth Date: <strong>June 1st (Gemini), 5012  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Short, jet black, messy bangs, with spikes behind them  
><strong>Eyes: <strong>Red, round, happy  
><strong>Height: <strong>3' 5"  
><strong>Blood Type: <strong>O  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Kantoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Student  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Alpha Line _(future)__  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>None  
><strong>Hometown: <strong>Pallet Town, Kanto _(future)_  
><strong>Relatives: <strong>Rubin Senri _(father)_, Topaz Rosso-Senri _(mother)_, Zlato Ama _(older half brother)_, Copal Rosso-Senri _(older sister)_, Corundum Rosso-Senri _(older brother)_, Amber Rosso-Senri _(older sister)_, Lapis Lazuli Rosso-Senri _(older sister)_, Bolt Rosso-Senri _(twin brother)_, Cerise Kazuo _(aunt)_, Shirou Kazuo _(uncle)_, Finnian Kazuo _(first cousin)_, Carmine Kazuo _(first cousin)_, Emery Kazuo _(first cousin)_, Sable Kazuo _(first cousin)_, Crimson Rosso _(uncle)_, Indigo Rosso _(aunt)_, Garnet Rosso _(first cousin)_, Teal Rosso _(first cousin)_, Zaffre Rosso _(first cousin)_, Lavender Rosso _(first cousin)_, Sapphira Kimu _(aunt)_, Gold Kimu Jr. _(uncle)_, Altan Marun _(first cousin)_, Opal Kimu _(first cousin)_, Aurum Kimu _(first cousin)_, Mica Kimu _(first cousin)_, Xenon Kimu _(first cousin)_, Jet Kimu _(first cousin)_, Orange Rosso _(uncle)_, Ruby Senri _(paternal grandfather)_, Sapphire Senri _(paternal grandmother)_, Red Rosso _(maternal grandfather)_, Yellow Rosso _(maternal grandmother)_, Norman Senri _(paternal great grandfather)_, and Professor Birch _(paternal great grandfather)_  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single, of course.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> Beige Kimu _(Beta)_; Delta Unknown  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
>ARCANE<strong> - Male - Growlithe - Level ? - Fire - Flash Fire - Brave nature - Moves unknown

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Bolt Rosso-Senri  
><strong>Nickname: <strong>None  
><strong>Gender: <strong>Male  
><strong>Age: <strong>6 years  
><strong>Birth Date: <strong>June 1st (Gemini), 5012  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Short, jet black, messy bangs, with spikes behind them  
><strong>Eyes: <strong>Yellow, round, happy  
><strong>Height: <strong>3' 5"  
><strong>Blood Type: <strong>O  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Kantoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Student  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Alpha Line _(future)__  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>None  
><strong>Hometown: <strong>Pallet Town, Kanto _(future)_  
><strong>Relatives: <strong>Rubin Senri _(father)_, Topaz Rosso-Senri _(mother)_, Zlato Ama _(older half brother)_, Copal Rosso-Senri _(older sister)_, Corundum Rosso-Senri _(older brother)_, Amber Rosso-Senri _(older sister)_, Lapis Lazuli Rosso-Senri _(older sister)_, Blaze Rosso-Senri _(twin brother)_, Cerise Kazuo _(aunt)_, Shirou Kazuo _(uncle)_, Finnian Kazuo _(first cousin)_, Carmine Kazuo _(first cousin)_, Emery Kazuo _(first cousin)_, Sable Kazuo _(first cousin)_, Crimson Rosso _(uncle)_, Indigo Rosso _(aunt)_, Garnet Rosso _(first cousin)_, Teal Rosso _(first cousin)_, Zaffre Rosso _(first cousin)_, Lavender Rosso _(first cousin)_, Sapphira Kimu _(aunt)_, Gold Kimu Jr. _(uncle)_, Altan Marun _(first cousin)_, Opal Kimu _(first cousin)_, Aurum Kimu _(first cousin)_, Mica Kimu _(first cousin)_, Xenon Kimu _(first cousin)_, Jet Kimu _(first cousin)_, Orange Rosso _(uncle)_, Ruby Senri _(paternal grandfather)_, Sapphire Senri _(paternal grandmother)_, Red Rosso _(maternal grandfather)_, Yellow Rosso _(maternal grandmother)_, Norman Senri _(paternal great grandfather)_, and Professor Birch _(paternal great grandfather)_  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single, of course.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> Buff Kimu _(Beta)_; Delta Unknown  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
>STORM<strong> - Male - Pichu - Level ? - Electric - Static - Naughty nature - Moves unknown

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Jet Kimu  
><strong>Nickname: <strong>Jetty  
><strong>Gender: <strong>Male  
><strong>Age: <strong>6 years  
><strong>Birth Date: <strong>December 25 (Capricorn), 5011  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Short, jet black, sloppy, with traditional Kimu bangs  
><strong>Eyes: <strong>Blue, round, bright, mischievous  
><strong>Height:<strong> 3' 7"  
><strong>Blood Type: <strong>B  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Kantoan, with hints of Johtoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Student  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Alpha Line _(future)__  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>None  
><strong>Hometown: <strong>Pallet Town, Kanto _(future)_  
><strong>Relatives: <strong>Gold Kimu Jr. _(father)_, Sapphira Kimu _(mother)_, Altan Marun _(older half brother)_, Opal Kimu _(older sister)_, Aurum Kimu _(older brother)_, Mica Kimu _(older brother)_, Xenon Kimu _(older brother)_, Amethyst Kimu _(uncle)_, Diamonda Kimu _(aunt)_, Aqua Kimu _(first cousin)_, Coral Kimu _(first cousin)_, Pyrite Kimu _(first cousin)_, Iolite Kuro _(aunt)_, Grey Kuro _(uncle)_, Kaito Kaigun _(first cousin)_, Arylide Kuro _(first cousin)_, Quartz Kuro _(first cousin)_, Onyx Kuro _(first cousin)_, Ivory Kuro _(first cousin)_, Rubin Senri _(uncle)_, Topaz Rosso-Senri _(aunt)_, Copal Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Corundum Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Amber Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Lapis Lazuli Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Blaze Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Bolt Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Soul Emeraudo _(second cousin)_, Esmeralda Daiyamondo _(third cousin)_, Chrome Daiyamondo _(fourth cousin)_, Peridot Daiyamondo _(fourth cousin)_, Gold Kimu Sr. _(paternal grandfather)_, Crystal Kimu _(paternal grandmother)_, Ruby Senri _(maternal grandfather)_, Sapphire Senri _(maternal grandmother)_, Norman Senri _(maternal great grandfather)_, and Professor Birch _(maternal great grandfather)_  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single, of course.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> N/A  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
>ARON<strong> - Male - Aron - Level ? - Steel/Rock - Sturdy - Bold nature - Moves unknown

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Ivory Kuro  
><strong>Nickname: <strong>Ive  
><strong>Gender: <strong>Female  
><strong>Age: <strong>2 years  
><strong>Birth Date: <strong>November 10th (Scorpio), 5015  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Wavy, chocolate brown, goes down a little past chin  
><strong>Eyes: <strong>Blue, round, happy  
><strong>Height: <strong>2' 5"  
><strong>Blood Type: <strong>O  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Kantoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> None  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Alpha Line _(future)__  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>None  
><strong>Hometown: <strong>Pallet Town, Kanto _(future)_  
><strong>Relatives: <strong>Grey Kuro _(father)_, Iolite Kuro _(mother)_, Cadet Kuro _(older brother)_, Ruzova Mazenta _(older half sister)_, Kaito Kaigun _(older half brother)_, Arylide Kuro _(older sister)_, Quartz Kuro _(older sister)_, Onyx Kuro _(older brother)_, Amethyst Kimu _(uncle)_, Diamonda Kimu _(aunt)_, Aqua Kimu _(first cousin)_, Coral Kimu _(first cousin)_, Pyrite Kimu _(first cousin)_, Gold Kimu Jr. _(uncle)_, Sapphira Kimu _(aunt)_, Opal Kimu _(first cousin)_, Aurum Kimu _(first cousin)_, Mica Kimu _(first cousin)_, Xenon Kimu _(first cousin)_, Jet Kimu _(first cousin)_, Ivorline Kuro _(aunt)_, Soul Emeraudo _(second cousin)_, Esmeralda Daiyamondo _(third cousin)_, Chrome Daiyamondo _(fourth cousin)_, Peridot Daiyamondo _(fourth cousin)_, Black Kuro _(paternal grandfather)_, White Kuro _(paternal grandmother)_, Gold Kimu Sr. _(maternal grandfather)_, and Crystal Kimu _(maternal grandmother)_  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single, of course.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> N/A  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
><strong>None

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Turquoise Oak  
><strong>Nickname: <strong>None  
><strong>Gender: <strong>Female  
><strong>Age: <strong>9 years  
><strong>Birth Date: <strong>December 17th (Sagittarius), 5008  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Straight, brown, slightly spiky, goes down to just below shoulder blades  
><strong>Eyes: <strong>Blue, round, excited  
><strong>Height: <strong>4' 0"  
><strong>Blood Type:<strong> O  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Kantoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Student  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Alpha Line _(future)__  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>None  
><strong>Hometown: <strong>Pallet Town, Kanto _(future)_  
><strong>Relatives: <strong>Cyan Oak _(father)_, Jewel Oak _(mother)_, Zircon Oak _(older brother)_, Indigo Rosso _(aunt)_, Crimson Rosso _(uncle)_, Garnet Rosso _(first cousin)_, Teal Rosso _(first cousin)_, Zaffre Rosso _(first cousin)_, Lavender Rosso _(first cousin)_, Cobalt Oak _(uncle)_, Larimar Oak _(aunt)_, Blue Oak _(paternal grandfather)_, Neela Oak _(paternal grandmother)_, Obsidian Synis _(maternal grandfather)_, Topaz Bosco _(maternal grandmother)_, and Professor Oak _(paternal great great grandfather)_  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single, of course.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> Hunter Oak _(Beta)_; Delta Unknown  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
>EVIE<strong> - Female - Eevee - Level ? - Normal - Run Away - Gentle nature - Moves unknown

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Peridot Daiyamondo  
><strong>Nickname: <strong>Dot, Dotty  
><strong>Gender: <strong>Female  
><strong>Age: <strong>8 years  
><strong>Birth Date: <strong>March 2nd (Pisces), 5010  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Straight, dirty blonde, neat, goes down to shoulders  
><strong>Eyes: <strong>Green, round, sharp, friendly  
><strong>Height: <strong>3' 5"  
><strong>Blood Type:<strong> B  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Hoennian  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Student  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Alpha Line _(future)__  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>None  
><strong>Hometown: <strong>Pallet Town, Kanto _(future)_  
><strong>Relatives: <strong>Jasper Daiyamondo _(father)_, Esmeralda Daiyamondo _(mother)_, Chrome Daiyamondo _(older brother)_, Diomond Daiyamondo _(uncle)_, Violette Daiyamondo _(aunt)_, Emeraldo Emeraudo _(uncle)_, Heart Emerarudo _(aunt)_, Crystal Kimu _(second cousin)_, Amethyst Kimu _(third cousin)_, Iolite Kimu _(third cousin)_, Gold Kimu Jr. _(third cousin)_, Poppy Kimu _(third cousin)_, Aqua Kimu _(fourth cousin)_, Coral Kimu _(fourth cousin)_, Pyrite Kimu _(fourth cousin)_, Kaito Kaigun _(fourth cousin)_, Arylide Kuro _(fourth cousin)_, Quartz Kuro _(fourth cousin)_, Onyx Kuro _(fourth cousin)_, Ivory Kuro _(fourth cousin)_, Opal Kimu _(fourth cousin)_, Aurum Kimu _(fourth cousin)_, Mica Kimu _(fourth cousin)_, Xenon Kimu _(fourth cousin)_, Jet Kimu _(fourth cousin)_, Diamond Daiyamondo _(paternal grandfather)_, Emerald Emeraudo _(maternal grandfather)_, and Johanna Daiyamondo _(paternal great grandmother)_  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single, of course.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> Zoisite Senri _(Beta)_; Delta Unknown  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
><strong>Unknown

* * *

><p><strong><span>Alpha Family Lines: (Year 5018)<span>**

**Special (Red and Yellow): **Topaz {35} [Scarlet {35} (Carnelian {12}, rest unknown)] (_Zlato {16}_, Copal {16}, Corundum & Amber {13}, Lapis Lazuli {10}, Blaze & Bolt {6}), Cerise {35} (Finnian {16}, Carmine {13}, Emery & Sable {6}), Crimson {?} (Garnet {?} [Timothy {27} (Ronne & Vasco {5}, Atarah {3})], Teal {?}, Kunzite {?}, Lavender {?}), and Orange {?} (Rowan & Sienna {?})

**Harmony (Blue and Neela): **Cyan {35} (Zircon {13} and Turquoise {9}), Indigo {?} (Garnet {?} [Timothy {27} (Ronne & Vasco {5}, Atarah {3})], Teal {?} [Scarlet {35} (Carnelian {13})], Zaffre {?}, Lavender {?}), Cobalt {?} (unknown), and Larimar {?} (unknown)

**MangaQuest (Gold Sr. and Crystal): **Amethyst {37} (Aqua {18}, Coral {16}, Pyrite {13}), Iolite {36} (_Kaito {16}_, Arylide {16}, Quartz {12}, Onyx {10}, Ivory {2}), Gold Jr. {35} [Scarlet {35} (Carnelian {12}, rest unknown)] (Opal {15}, Aurum & Mica & Xenon {13}, Jet {6}), and Poppy {?} (Rowan [Ethan & Evan {28}] & Sienna {?})

****Chosen (Silver and Green): ****Jade {34} (_Midori {16}_, Bronze {15}, Galena {13}, Titanium {10}), Argentum {?} (Slate {?} and Perlita {?} [Diamonda {36} (Aqua {18}, Coral {16}, Pyrite {13})]), and Clover {?} (unknown)

**Frantic (Ruby and Sapphire): **Rubin {35} (Copal {15}, Corundum & Amber {13}, Lapis Lazuli {10}, Blaze & Bolt {6}), Sapphira {35} (_Altan {16}_, Opal {15}, Aurum & Mica & Xenon {13}, Jet {6}), and Kyanite {?} (unknown)

**Spring (Emerald and Soul): **Esmeralda {33} (Chrome {10} and Peridot {8}), Emeraldo {?} (unknown), and Heart {?} (unknown)

**Culinary (Diamond and Ianthe): **Jasper {34} (Chrome {10} and Peridot {8}), Diomond {?} (unknown), and Violette {?} (unknown)

**Haughty (Pearl and Platina): **Plato {35} (Bronze {15}, Galena {13}, Titanium {10}) and Perla {?} (Slate {?} and Perlita {?} [Diamonda {36} (Aqua {18}, Coral {16}, Pyrite {13})])

**Agency (Black and White): **Grey {35} (Cadet {18}, _Ruzova {16}_, Arylide {15}, Quartz {12}, Onyx {10}, Ivory {2}) and Ivorline {?} (unknown)

**Key: **(mean children), [mean descendent], {mean age}, _italics mean experiment_

* * *

><p><strong>BETA LINE KIDS<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Name:<strong> Maize Kimu  
><strong>Nickname: <strong>Mai, Maizy  
><strong>Gender:<strong> Female  
><strong>Age:<strong> 13 years  
><strong>Birth Date:<strong> August 10th (Leo), 2038  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Straight, long, jet black, messy bangs, usually up in ponytail  
><strong>Eyes:<strong> Gold, round, calm  
><strong>Height: <strong>5' 0"**  
>Blood Type<strong>: O  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Kantoan, with hints of Johtoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer, the Healer  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Beta Line _(past)__  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>None  
><strong>Hometown:<strong> Pallet Town, Kanto _(past)_  
><strong>Relatives:<strong> Gold Kimu Jr. _(father)_, Topaz Kimu _(mother)_, Xanthe Kimu _(older sister)_, Cadmium Kimu _(twin brother)_, Vanilla Kimu _(younger sister)_, Beige Kimu _(younger brother)_, Buff Kimu _(younger brother)_, Amethyst Kimu _(uncle)_, Cerise Kimu _(aunt)_, Ridley Kimu _(first cousin)_, Pembe Kimu _(first cousin)_, Brick Kimu _(first cousin)_, Chrysocolla Kimu _(first cousin)_, Magenta Kimu _(first cousin)_, Iolite Kaigun _(aunt)_, Navy Kaigun _(uncle)_, Astra Kaigun _(first cousin)_, Marine Kaigun _(first cousin)_, Ametrine Kaigun _(first cousin)_, Crimson Rosso _(uncle)_, Indigo Rosso _(aunt)_, Garnet Rosso _(first cousin)_, Teal Rosso _(first cousin)_, Zaffre Rosso _(first cousin)_, Lavender Rosso _(first cousin)_, Orange Rosso _(uncle)_, Poppy Rosso _(aunt)_, Soul Emeraudo _(second cousin)_, Esmeralda Senri _(third cousin)_, Bismuth Senri _(fourth cousin)_, Zoisite Senri _(fourth cousin)_, Gold Kimu Sr. _(paternal grandfather)_, Crystal Kimu _(paternal grandmother)_, Red Rosso _(maternal grandfather)_, and Yellow Rosso _(maternal grandmother)_  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single, but she has a crush on Forest Oak.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> Amber Rosso-Senri _(Alpha)_; Delta Unknown  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
>PIPI <strong>- Female - Pikachu - Level 24 - Electric - Static - Naive nature - Thunder Shock, Quick Attack, Thunder Wave, Iron Tail, Volt Tackle, Electro Ball  
><strong>SAURANO<strong> - Male - Bulbasaur - Level 14 - Grass/Poison - Overgrow - Lax nature - Tackle, Growl, Leech Seed, Vine Whip, Power Whip  
><strong>DODANI<strong> - Female - Doduo - Level 17 - Normal/Flying - Run Away - Jolly nature - Peck, Growl, Quick Attack, Rage, Fury Attack

* * *

><p><strong>Name:<strong> Cadmium Kimu  
><strong>Nickname: <strong>Cad, Caddy  
><strong>Gender:<strong> Male  
><strong>Age:<strong> 13 years  
><strong>Birth Date:<strong> August 10th (Leo), 2038  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Shaggy, sloppy, golden blonde, with traditional Kimu bangs  
><strong>Eyes:<strong> Gold, round, mischievous, happy  
><strong>Height: <strong>5' 1"**  
>Blood Type<strong>: O  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Johtoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer, the Breeder  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Beta Line _(past)__  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>Boulder Badge, Cascade Badge, Thunder Badge, Rainbow Badge, Soul Badge, Marsh Badge, Volcano Badge, Earth Badge  
><strong>Hometown:<strong> Pallet Town, Kanto _(past)_  
><strong>Relatives:<strong> Gold Kimu Jr. (father), Topaz Kimu (mother), Xanthe Kimu (older sister), Maize Kimu (twin sister), Vanilla Kimu (younger sister), Beige Kimu (younger brother), Buff Kimu (younger brother), Amethyst Kimu (uncle), Cerise Kimu (aunt), Ridley Kimu (first cousin), Pembe Kimu (first cousin), Brick Kimu (first cousin), Chrysocolla Kimu (first cousin), Magenta Kimu (first cousin), Iolite Kaigun (aunt), Navy Kaigun (uncle), Astra Kaigun (first cousin), Marine Kaigun (first cousin), Ametrine Kaigun (first cousin), Crimson Rosso (uncle), Indigo Rosso (aunt), Garnet Rosso (first cousin), Teal Rosso (first cousin), Orange Rosso (uncle), Soul Emeraudo (second cousin), Esmeralda Senri (third cousin), Bismuth Senri (fourth cousin), Zoisite Senri (fourth cousin), Gold Kimu Sr. (paternal grandfather), Crystal Kimu (paternal grandmother), Red Rosso (maternal grandfather), and Yellow Rosso (maternal grandmother)  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single, and his current feelings are unknown.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> Corundum Rosso-Senri _(Alpha)_; Delta Unknown  
><strong><span>Team:<span>**  
><strong>THOR<strong> - Male - Pikachu - Level 74 - Electric - Static - Jolly nature - Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Agility, Volt Tackle, Thunder  
><strong>VULCAN<strong> - Male - Typhlosion - Level 72 - Fire - Blaze - Rash nature - Flamethrower, Inferno, Flame Charge, Hyper Beam, Rollout, Lava Plume  
><strong>HERMES<strong> - Male - Ambipom - Level 71 - Normal - Technician - Naughty nature - Double Hit, Swift, Agility, Brick Break, Double Team, Rock Smash  
><strong>SET<strong> - Male - Umbreon - Level 69 - Dark - Synchronize - Mischievous nature - Quick Attack, Shadow Ball, Dark Pulse, Mean Look, Faint Attack, Confuse Ray  
><strong>POSEIDON<strong> - Male - Gyarados - Level 70 - Water/Flying - Intimidate - Lonely nature - Surf, Ice Fang, Hydro Pump, Hyper Beam, Waterfall, Dive  
><strong>AEOLUS<strong> - Male - Aerodactyl - Level 69 - Rock/Flying - Pressure - Brave nature - Fly, Iron Head, Sky Drop, Crunch, Ancient Power, Aerial Ace

* * *

><p><strong>Name:<strong> Duke Oak  
><strong>Nickname: <strong>None  
><strong>Gender:<strong> Male  
><strong>Age:<strong> 15 years  
><strong>Birth Date:<strong> February 28th (Pisces), 2036  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Shaggy, slightly spiky, brown  
><strong>Eyes:<strong> Blue, round, bright, friendly  
><strong>Height: <strong>6' 0"**  
>Blood Type<strong>: O  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Kantoan, with hints of Johtoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer, the Evolver  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Beta Line _(past)__  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>Boulder Badge, Cascade Badge, Thunder Badge, Rainbow Badge, Soul Badge, Marsh Badge, Volcano Badge, Earth Badge, Zephyr Badge, Hive Badge, Plain Badge, Fog Badge, Storm Badge, Mineral Badge, Glacier Badge, Rising Badge, Stone Badge, Knuckle Badge, Dynamo Badge, Heat Badge, Balance Badge, Feather Badge, Mind Badge, Rain Badge  
><strong>Hometown:<strong> Pallet Town, Kanto _(past)_  
><strong>Relatives:<strong> Cyan Oak (father), Jade Oak (mother), Forest Oak (younger brother), Azure Oak (younger sister), Hunter Oak (younger brother), Sky Oak (younger sister), Indigo Rosso (aunt), Crimson Rosso (uncle), Garnet Rosso (first cousin), Teal Rosso (first cousin), Argentum Sakaki (uncle), Perla Sakaki (aunt), Blue Oak (paternal grandfather), Silver Sakaki (maternal grandfather), Green Sakaki (maternal grandmother), and Professor Oak (paternal great great grandfather)  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single. His current feelings are unknown.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> Bronze Berlitz-Palmer _(Alpha)_; Delta Unknown  
><span>Team:<span>  
>Unknown<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Name:<strong> Forest Oak  
><strong>Nickname: <strong>None  
><strong>Gender:<strong> Male  
><strong>Age:<strong> 14 years  
><strong>Birth Date:<strong> August 17th (Leo), 2037  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Short, wildly spiky, fiery red  
><strong>Eyes:<strong> Green, sharp, serious  
><strong>Height: <strong>5' 9"**  
>Blood Type<strong>: O  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Kantoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer, the Trainer  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Beta Line _(past)__  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>Boulder Badge, Cascade Badge, Thunder Badge, Rainbow Badge, Soul Badge, Marsh Badge, Volcano Badge, Earth Badge, Zephyr Badge, Hive Badge, Plain Badge, Fog Badge, Storm Badge, Mineral Badge, Glacier Badge, Rising Badge  
><strong>Hometown:<strong> Pallet Town, Kanto _(past)_  
><strong>Relatives:<strong> Cyan Oak (father), Jade Oak (mother), Duke Oak (older brother), Azure Oak (younger sister), Hunter Oak (younger brother), Sky Oak (younger sister), Indigo Rosso (aunt), Crimson Rosso (uncle), Garnet Rosso (first cousin), Teal Rosso (first cousin), Argentum Sakaki (uncle), Perla Sakaki (aunt), Blue Oak (paternal grandfather), Silver Sakaki (maternal grandfather), Green Sakaki (maternal grandmother), and Professor Oak (paternal great great grandfather)  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single. He seems to be very fond of Maize Kimu.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> Zircon Oak _(Alpha)_; Delta Unknown  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
>SCIZOR<strong> - Male - Scizor - Level 77 -Bug/Steel - Swarm - Adamant nature - X-Scissor, Night Slash, Iron Head, Cut, Double Team, Aerial Ace  
><strong>CHARIZARD<strong> - Male - Charizard - Level 78 - Fire/Flying - Blaze - Quiet nature - Heat Wave, Flamethrower, Aerial Ace, Dragon Claw, Inferno, Fly  
><strong>PORYGON-Z<strong> - Unknown - Porygon-Z - Level 76 - Normal - Download - Quirky nature - Hyper Beam, Zap Cannon, Tri Attack, Ice Beam, Psychic, Shadow Ball  
><strong>GYARADOS<strong> - Female - Gyarados (shiny) - Level 76 - Water/Flying - Intimidate - Naughty nature - Surf, Hydro Pump, Ice Fang, Dive, Hyper Beam, Aqua Tail  
><strong>UMBREON<strong> - Male - Umbreon - Level 76 - Dark - Synchronize - Calm nature - Quick Attack, Dark Pulse, Iron Tail, Shadow Ball, Mean Look, Toxic  
><strong>NIDOQUEEN<strong> - Female - Nidoqueen - Level 75 - Poison/Ground - Poison Point - Jolly nature - Body Slam, Earth Power, Sludge Bomb, Earthquake, Superpower, Strength

* * *

><p><strong>Name:<strong> Brick Kimu  
><strong>Nickname: <strong>None  
><strong>Gender:<strong> Male  
><strong>Age:<strong> 16 years  
><strong>Birth Date:<strong> July 4th (Cancer), 2035  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Shaggy, messy, jet black, with traditional Kimu bangs  
><strong>Eyes:<strong> Red, round, sharp, calm  
><strong>Height: <strong>6' 2"**  
>Blood Type<strong>: AB  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Johtoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer, the Battler  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Beta Line _(past)__  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>Zephyr Badge, Hive Badge, Plain Badge, Fog Badge, Storm Badge, Mineral Badge, Glacier Badge, Rising Badge, Boulder Badge, Cascade Badge, Thunder Badge, Rainbow Badge, Soul Badge, Marsh Badge, Volcano Badge, Earth Badge, Stone Badge, Knuckle Badge, Dynamo Badge, Heat Badge, Balance Badge, Feather Badge, Mind Badge, Rain Badge  
><strong>Hometown:<strong> New Bark Town, Johto _(past)_  
><strong>Relatives:<strong> Amethyst Kimu (father), Cerise Kimu (mother), Ridley Kimu (older brother), Pembe Kimu (older sister), Chrysocolla Kimu (younger sister), Magenta Kimu (younger sister), Iolite Kaigun (aunt), Navy Kaigun (uncle), Astra Kaigun (first cousin), Marine Kaigun (first cousin), Ametrine Kaigun (first cousin), Gold Kimu Jr. (uncle), Topaz Kimu (aunt), Xanthe Kimu (first cousin), Cadmium Kimu (first cousin), Maize Kimu (first cousin), Vanilla Kimu (first cousin), Beige Rosso-Kimu (first cousin), Buff Rosso-Kimu (first cousin), Crimson Rosso (uncle), Indigo Rosso (aunt), Garnet Rosso (first cousin), Teal Rosso (first cousin), Orange Rosso (uncle), Soul Emeraudo (second cousin), Esmeralda Senri (third cousin), Bismuth Senri (fourth cousin), Zoisite Senri (fourth cousin), Gold Kimu Sr. (paternal grandfather), Crystal Kimu (paternal grandmother), Red Rosso (maternal grandfather), and Yellow Rosso (maternal grandmother)  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single. His current feelings are unknown.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> Pyrite Kimu _(Alpha)_; Delta Unknown  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
><strong>Unknown

* * *

><p><strong>Name:<strong> Azure Oak  
><strong>Nickname: <strong>Az, Azzy  
><strong>Gender:<strong> Female  
><strong>Age:<strong> 13 years  
><strong>Birth Date:<strong> June 1st (Gemini), 2038  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Straight, very long, brown, styled variously  
><strong>Eyes:<strong> Blue, round, sharp, mischievous  
><strong>Height: <strong>5' 3"**  
>Blood Type<strong>: O  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Kantoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer, the Exchanger  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Beta Line _(past)__  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>None  
><strong>Hometown:<strong> Pallet Town, Kanto _(past)_  
><strong>Relatives:<strong> Cyan Oak (father), Jade Oak (mother), Duke Oak (older brother), Forest Oak (older brother), Hunter Oak (younger brother), Sky Oak (younger sister), Indigo Rosso (aunt), Crimson Rosso (uncle), Garnet Rosso (first cousin), Teal Rosso (first cousin), Argentum Sakaki (uncle), Perla Sakaki (aunt), Blue Oak (paternal grandfather), Silver Sakaki (maternal grandfather), Green Sakaki (maternal grandmother), and Professor Oak (paternal great great grandfather)  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single. She seems to be interested in Cadmium Kimu.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> Galena Berlitz-Palmer _(Alpha)_; Delta Unknown  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
><strong>Unknown

* * *

><p><strong>Name:<strong> Chrysocolla Kimu  
><strong>Nickname: <strong>Chrys, Chryssy  
><strong>Gender:<strong> Female  
><strong>Age:<strong> 13 years  
><strong>Birth Date:<strong> April 3rd (Aries), 2038  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Medium length, messy, jet black, sometimes in pigtails  
><strong>Eyes:<strong> Blue, round, sharp, fierce  
><strong>Height: <strong>5' 4"**  
>Blood Type<strong>: B  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Johtoan, with hints of Kantoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer, the Battler  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Beta Line _(past)__  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>Zephyr Badge, Hive Badge, Plain Badge, Fog Badge, Storm Badge, Mineral Badge, Glacier Badge, Rising Badge  
><strong>Hometown:<strong> New Bark Town, Johto _(past)_  
><strong>Relatives:<strong> Amethyst Kimu (father), Cerise Kimu (mother), Ridley Kimu (older brother), Pembe Kimu (older sister), Brick Kimu (older brother), Magenta Kimu (younger sister), Iolite Kaigun (aunt), Navy Kaigun (uncle), Astra Kaigun (first cousin), Marine Kaigun (first cousin), Ametrine Kaigun (first cousin), Gold Kimu Jr. (uncle), Topaz Kimu (aunt), Xanthe Kimu (first cousin), Cadmium Kimu (first cousin), Maize Kimu (first cousin), Vanilla Kimu (first cousin), Beige Kimu (first cousin), Buff Kimu (first cousin), Crimson Rosso (uncle), Indigo Rosso (aunt), Garnet Rosso (first cousin), Teal Rosso (first cousin), Orange Rosso (uncle), Soul Emeraudo (second cousin), Esmeralda Senri (third cousin), Bismuth Senri (fourth cousin), Zoisite Senri (fourth cousin), Gold Kimu Sr. (paternal grandfather), Crystal Kimu (paternal grandmother), Red Rosso (maternal grandfather), and Yellow Rosso (maternal grandmother)  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single. Her current feelings are unknown.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> Aqua Kimu _(Alpha)_; Delta Unknown  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
><strong>Unknown

* * *

><p><strong>Name:<strong> Hunter Oak  
><strong>Nickname: <strong>None  
><strong>Gender:<strong> Male  
><strong>Age:<strong> 12 years  
><strong>Birth Date:<strong> May 20th (Taurus), 2039  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Shaggy, messy, slightly spiky, auburn  
><strong>Eyes:<strong> Green, round, sharp, mischievous  
><strong>Height: <strong>4' 11"**  
>Blood Type<strong>: O  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Kantoan, with hints of Johtoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer, Student  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Beta Line _(past)__  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>None  
><strong>Hometown:<strong> Pallet Town, Kanto _(past)_  
><strong>Relatives:<strong> Cyan Oak (father), Jade Oak (mother), Duke Oak (older brother), Forest Oak (older brother), Azure Oak (older sister), Sky Oak (twin sister), Indigo Rosso (aunt), Crimson Rosso (uncle), Garnet Rosso (first cousin), Teal Rosso (first cousin), Argentum Sakaki (uncle), Perla Sakaki (aunt), Blue Oak (paternal grandfather), Silver Sakaki (maternal grandfather), Green Sakaki (maternal grandmother), and Professor Oak (paternal great great grandfather)  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single, of course.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> Turquoise Oak _(Alpha)_; Delta Unknown  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
><strong>Unknown

* * *

><p><strong>Name:<strong> Sky Oak  
><strong>Nickname: <strong>None  
><strong>Gender:<strong> Female  
><strong>Age:<strong> 12 years  
><strong>Birth Date:<strong> May 20th (Taurus), 2039  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Long, messy, slightly spiky, auburn, in various styles  
><strong>Eyes:<strong> Blue, round, sharp, mischievous  
><strong>Height: <strong>4' 11"**  
>Blood Type<strong>: O  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Kantoan, with hints of Johtoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer, Student  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Beta Line _(past)__  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>None  
><strong>Hometown:<strong> Pallet Town, Kanto _(past)_  
><strong>Relatives:<strong> Cyan Oak (father), Jade Oak (mother), Duke Oak (older brother), Forest Oak (older brother), Azure Oak (older sister), Hunter Oak (twin brother), Indigo Rosso (aunt), Crimson Rosso (uncle), Garnet Rosso (first cousin), Teal Rosso (first cousin), Argentum Sakaki (uncle), Perla Sakaki (aunt), Blue Oak (paternal grandfather), Silver Sakaki (maternal grandfather), Green Sakaki (maternal grandmother), and Professor Oak (paternal great great grandfather)  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single, of course.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> Titanium Berlitz-Palmer _(Alpha)_; Delta Unknown  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
><strong>Unknown

* * *

><p><strong>Name:<strong> Magenta Kimu  
><strong>Nickname: <strong>None  
><strong>Gender:<strong> Female  
><strong>Age:<strong> 11 years  
><strong>Birth Date:<strong> December 24th (Capricorn), 2039  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Long, wavy, strawberry blonde, usually in pigtails  
><strong>Eyes:<strong> Magenta, round, bright, happy  
><strong>Height: <strong>4' 9"**  
>Blood Type<strong>: B  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Johtoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer, Student  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Beta Line _(past)__  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>None  
><strong>Hometown:<strong> New Bark Town, Johto _(past)_  
><strong>Relatives:<strong> Amethyst Kimu (father), Cerise Kimu (mother), Ridley Kimu (older brother), Pembe Kimu (older sister), Brick Kimu (older brother), Chrysocolla Kimu (older sister), Iolite Kaigun (aunt), Navy Kaigun (uncle), Astra Kaigun (first cousin), Marine Kaigun (first cousin), Ametrine Kaigun (first cousin), Gold Kimu Jr. (uncle), Topaz Kimu (aunt), Xanthe Kimu (first cousin), Cadmium Kimu (first cousin), Maize Kimu (first cousin), Vanilla Kimu (first cousin), Beige Kimu (first cousin), Buff Kimu (first cousin), Crimson Rosso (uncle), Indigo Rosso (aunt), Garnet Rosso (first cousin), Teal Rosso (first cousin), Orange Rosso (uncle), Soul Emeraudo (second cousin), Esmeralda Senri (third cousin), Bismuth Senri (fourth cousin), Zoisite Senri (fourth cousin), Gold Kimu Sr. (paternal grandfather), Crystal Kimu (paternal grandmother), Red Rosso (maternal grandfather), and Yellow Rosso (maternal grandmother)  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single, of course.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> Carmine Kazuo _(Alpha)_; Delta Unknown  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
><strong>Unknown

* * *

><p><strong>Name:<strong> Marine Kaigun  
><strong>Nickname: <strong>Mar  
><strong>Gender:<strong> Male  
><strong>Age:<strong> 14 years  
><strong>Birth Date:<strong> January 11th (Capricorn), 2037  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Shaggy, sloppy, dark blue, with traditional Kimu bangs  
><strong>Eyes:<strong> Blue, round, sharp, calm  
><strong>Height: <strong>5' 7"**  
>Blood Type<strong>: O  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Johtoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Beta Line _(past)__  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>None  
><strong>Hometown:<strong> New Bark Town, Johto _(past)_  
><strong>Relatives:<strong> Navy Kaigun (father), Iolite Kaigun (mother), Astra Kaigun (older sister), Ametrine Kaigun (younger sister), Amethyst Kimu (uncle), Cerise Kimu (aunt), Ridley Kimu (first cousin), Pembe Kimu (first cousin), Brick Kimu (first cousin), Chrysocolla Kimu (first cousin), Magenta Kimu (first cousin), Gold Kimu Jr. (uncle), Topaz Kimu (aunt), Xanthe Kimu (first cousin), Cadmium Kimu (first cousin), Maize Kimu (first cousin), Vanilla Kimu (first cousin), Beige Kimu (first cousin), Buff Kimu (first cousin), Soul Emeraudo (second cousin), Esmeralda Senri (third cousin), Bismuth Senri (fourth cousin), Zoisite Senri (fourth cousin), Gold Kimu Sr. (maternal grandfather), and Crystal Kimu (maternal grandmother)  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single. His current feelings are unknown.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> Dodger Kaigun _(Alpha)_; Delta Unknown  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
>FERALIGATR<strong> - Male - Feraligatr - Level 72 - Water - Torrent - Rash nature - Aqua Tail, Surf, Ice Fang, Crunch, Waterfall, Blizzard  
>Rest unknown.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Name:<strong> Ametrine Kaigun  
><strong>Nickname: <strong>Ame, Amey  
><strong>Gender:<strong> Female  
><strong>Age:<strong> 12 years  
><strong>Birth Date:<strong> November 15th (Scorpio), 2038  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Straight, jet black, goes down to shoulders, messy bangs  
><strong>Eyes:<strong> Purple, round, calm, happy  
><strong>Height: <strong>5' 1"**  
>Blood Type<strong>: AB  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Kantoan, with hints of Johtoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer, Student  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Beta Line _(past)__  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>None  
><strong>Hometown:<strong> New Bark Town, Johto _(past)_  
><strong>Relatives:<strong> Navy Kaigun (father), Iolite Kaigun (mother), Astra Kaigun (older sister), Marine Kaigun (older brother), Amethyst Kimu (uncle), Cerise Kimu (aunt), Ridley Kimu (first cousin), Pembe Kimu (first cousin), Brick Kimu (first cousin), Chrysocolla Kimu (first cousin), Magenta Kimu (first cousin), Gold Kimu Jr. (uncle), Topaz Kimu (aunt), Xanthe Kimu (first cousin), Cadmium Kimu (first cousin), Maize Kimu (first cousin), Vanilla Kimu (first cousin), Beige Kimu (first cousin), Buff Kimu (first cousin), Soul Emeraudo (second cousin), Esmeralda Senri (third cousin), Bismuth Senri (fourth cousin), Zoisite Senri (fourth cousin), Gold Kimu Sr. (maternal grandfather), and Crystal Kimu (maternal grandmother)  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single. Her current feelings are unknown.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> Ivory Kuro _(Alpha)_; Delta Unknown  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
><strong>Unknown

* * *

><p><strong>Name:<strong> Xanthe Kimu  
><strong>Nickname:<strong> Xan  
><strong>Gender:<strong> Female  
><strong>Age:<strong> 16 years  
><strong>Birth Date:<strong> November 10th (Scorpio), 2034  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Golden blonde, straight, boy short in the back with long, sweeping bangs in the front  
><strong>Eyes:<strong> Gold, round, sharp, bright, happy, mischievous  
><strong>Height: <strong>6' 0"**  
>Blood Type<strong>: O  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Kantoan, with hints of Johtoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Beta Line _(past)__  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>Unknown  
><strong>Hometown:<strong> Pallet Town, Kanto _(past)_  
><strong>Relatives:<strong> Gold Kimu Jr. (father), Topaz Kimu (mother), Cadmium Kimu (younger brother), Maize Kimu (younger sister), Vanilla Kimu (younger sister), Beige Kimu (younger brother), Buff Kimu (younger brother), Amethyst Kimu (uncle), Cerise Kimu (aunt), Ridley Kimu (first cousin), Pembe Kimu (first cousin), Brick Kimu (first cousin), Chrysocolla Kimu (first cousin), Magenta Kimu (first cousin), Iolite Kaigun (aunt), Navy Kaigun (uncle), Astra Kaigun (first cousin), Marine Kaigun (first cousin), Ametrine Kaigun (first cousin), Crimson Rosso (uncle), Indigo Rosso (aunt), Garnet Rosso (first cousin), Teal Rosso (first cousin), Orange Rosso (uncle), Soul Emeraudo (second cousin), Esmeralda Senri (third cousin), Bismuth Senri (fourth cousin), Zoisite Senri (fourth cousin), Gold Kimu Sr. (paternal grandfather), Crystal Kimu (paternal grandmother), Red Rosso (maternal grandfather), and Yellow Rosso (maternal grandmother)  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single. Her current feelings are unknown.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> Copal Rosso-Senri _(Alpha)_; Delta Unknown  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
>TOPH<strong> - Female - Mamoswine - Level 82 - Ice/Ground - Snow Cloak - Sassy nature - Blizzard, Earthquake, Ancient Power, Ice Beam, Hidden Power, Bulldoze  
><strong>IROH <strong>- Male - Raichu - Level 81 - Electric - Static - Brave nature - Thunder, Hidden Power, Volt Tackle, Iron Tail, Thunderbolt, Hyper Beam  
><strong>KATARA<strong> - Female - Kingdra - Level 80 - Water/Dragon - Swift Swim - Bold nature - Dragon Pulse, Hydro Pump, Ice Beam, Surf, Waterfall, Draco Meteor  
><strong>ZUKO<strong> - Male - Arcanine - Level 80 - Fire - Intimidate - Adamant nature - Flamethrower, Fire Fang, Crunch, Flame Charge, Flare Blitz, Overheat  
><strong>AANG<strong> - Male - Xatu - Level 81 - Psychic/Flying - Early Bird - Calm nature - Psychic, Fly, Ominous Wind, Wish, Aerial Ace, Teleport  
><strong>SOKKA<strong> - Male - Ursaring - Level 80 - Normal - Guts - Quirky nature - Hammer Arm, Thrash, Slash, Rest, Strength, Giga Impact

* * *

><p><strong>Name:<strong> Pembe Kimu  
><strong>Nickname:<strong> Pem  
><strong>Gender:<strong> Female  
><strong>Age:<strong> 18 years  
><strong>Birth Date:<strong> Unknown, 2032  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Wavy, strawberry blonde, goes down to shoulders  
><strong>Eyes:<strong> Red, round, bright, happy  
><strong>Height: <strong>5' 8"**  
>Blood Type<strong>: O  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Johtoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Beta Line _(past)__  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>Unknown  
><strong>Hometown:<strong> New Bark Town, Johto _(past)_  
><strong>Relatives:<strong> Amethyst Kimu (father), Cerise Kimu (mother), Ridley Kimu (twin brother), Brick Kimu (younger brother), Chrysocolla Kimu (younger sister), Magenta Kimu (younger sister), Iolite Kaigun (aunt), Navy Kaigun (uncle), Astra Kaigun (first cousin), Marine Kaigun (first cousin), Ametrine Kaigun (first cousin), Gold Kimu Jr. (uncle), Topaz Kimu (aunt), Xanthe Kimu (first cousin), Cadmium Kimu (first cousin), Maize Kimu (first cousin), Vanilla Kimu (first cousin), Beige Kimu (first cousin), Buff Kimu (first cousin), Crimson Rosso (uncle), Indigo Rosso (aunt), Garnet Rosso (first cousin), Teal Rosso (first cousin), Orange Rosso (uncle), Soul Emeraudo (second cousin), Esmeralda Senri (third cousin), Bismuth Senri (fourth cousin), Zoisite Senri (fourth cousin), Gold Kimu Sr. (paternal grandfather), Crystal Kimu (paternal grandmother), Red Rosso (maternal grandfather), and Yellow Rosso (maternal grandmother)  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single. Her current feelings are unknown.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> Coral Kimu _(Alpha)_; Delta Unknown  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
><strong>Unknown

* * *

><p><strong>Name:<strong> Astra Kaigun  
><strong>Nickname:<strong> None  
><strong>Gender:<strong> Female  
><strong>Age:<strong> 16 years  
><strong>Birth Date:<strong> April 2nd (Aries), 2035  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Straight, neat, dark blue, goes a little past her shoulders  
><strong>Eyes:<strong> Sky blue, round, calm  
><strong>Height: <strong>5' 6"**  
>Blood Type<strong>: O  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Johtoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Beta Line _(past)__  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>Unknown  
><strong>Hometown:<strong> New Bark Town, Johto _(past)_  
><strong>Relatives:<strong> Navy Kaigun (father), Iolite Kaigun (mother), Marine Kaigun (younger brother), Ametrine Kaigun (younger sister), Amethyst Kimu (uncle), Cerise Kimu (aunt), Ridley Kimu (first cousin), Pembe Kimu (first cousin), Brick Kimu (first cousin), Chrysocolla Kimu (first cousin), Magenta Kimu (first cousin), Gold Kimu Jr. (uncle), Topaz Kimu (aunt), Xanthe Kimu (first cousin), Cadmium Kimu (first cousin), Maize Kimu (first cousin), Vanilla Kimu (first cousin), Beige Kimu (first cousin), Buff Kimu (first cousin), Soul Emeraudo (second cousin), Esmeralda Senri (third cousin), Bismuth Senri (fourth cousin), Zoisite Senri (fourth cousin), Gold Kimu Sr. (maternal grandfather), and Crystal Kimu (maternal grandmother)  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single. Her current feelings are unknown.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> Arylide Kuro _(Alpha)_; Delta Unknown  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
><strong>Unknown

* * *

><p><strong>Name:<strong> Vanilla Kimu  
><strong>Nickname: <strong>Vani, Nilla  
><strong>Gender:<strong> Female  
><strong>Age:<strong> 10 years  
><strong>Birth Date:<strong> October 15th (Libra), 2040  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Long, wavy, platinum blonde  
><strong>Eyes:<strong> Gold, clouded due to blindness, clam  
><strong>Height: <strong>4' 7"**  
>Blood Type<strong>: O  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Kantoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer, Student  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Beta Line _(past)__  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>None  
><strong>Hometown:<strong> Pallet Town, Kanto _(past)_  
><strong>Relatives:<strong> Gold Kimu Jr. (father), Topaz Kimu (mother), Xanthe Kimu (older sister), Cadmium Kimu (older brother), Maize Kimu (older sister), Beige Kimu (younger brother), Buff Kimu (younger brother), Amethyst Kimu (uncle), Cerise Kimu (aunt), Ridley Kimu (first cousin), Pembe Kimu (first cousin), Brick Kimu (first cousin), Chrysocolla Kimu (first cousin), Magenta Kimu (first cousin), Iolite Kaigun (aunt), Navy Kaigun (uncle), Astra Kaigun (first cousin), Marine Kaigun (first cousin), Ametrine Kaigun (first cousin), Crimson Rosso (uncle), Indigo Rosso (aunt), Garnet Rosso (first cousin), Teal Rosso (first cousin), Orange Rosso (uncle), Soul Emeraudo (second cousin), Esmeralda Senri (third cousin), Bismuth Senri (fourth cousin), Zoisite Senri (fourth cousin), Gold Kimu Sr. (paternal grandfather), Crystal Kimu (paternal grandmother), Red Rosso (maternal grandfather), and Yellow Rosso (maternal grandmother)  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single, of course.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> Lapis Lazuli Rosso-Senri _(Alpha)_; Delta Unknown  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
><strong>UNKNOWN

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Beige Kimu  
><strong>Nickname: <strong>None  
><strong>Gender: <strong>Male  
><strong>Age: <strong>6 years  
><strong>Birth Date: <strong>June 1st (Gemini), 2045  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Short, messy, jet black, with traditional Kimu bangs  
><strong>Eyes: <strong>Orange, round, bright  
><strong>Height: <strong>3' 5"  
><strong>Blood Type: <strong>O  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Kantoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer, Student  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Beta Line _(past)__  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>None  
><strong>Hometown: <strong>Pallet Town, Kanto _(past)_  
><strong>Relatives: <strong>Gold Kimu Jr. (father), Topaz Kimu (mother), Xanthe Kimu (older sister), Cadmium Kimu (older brother), Maize Kimu (older sister), Vanilla Kimu (older sister), Buff Kimu (twin brother), Amethyst Kimu (uncle), Cerise Kimu (aunt), Ridley Kimu (first cousin), Pembe Kimu (first cousin), Brick Kimu (first cousin), Chrysocolla Kimu (first cousin), Magenta Kimu (first cousin), Iolite Kaigun (aunt), Navy Kaigun (uncle), Astra Kaigun (first cousin), Marine Kaigun (first cousin), Ametrine Kaigun (first cousin), Crimson Rosso (uncle), Indigo Rosso (aunt), Garnet Rosso (first cousin), Teal Rosso (first cousin), Orange Rosso (uncle), Soul Emeraudo (second cousin), Esmeralda Senri (third cousin), Bismuth Senri (fourth cousin), Zoisite Senri (fourth cousin), Gold Kimu Sr. (paternal grandfather), Crystal Kimu (paternal grandmother), Red Rosso (maternal grandfather), and Yellow Rosso (maternal grandmother)  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single, of course.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> Blaze Rosso-Senri _(Alpha)_; Delta Unknown  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
><strong>UNKNOWN.

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Buff Kimu  
><strong>Nickname: <strong>Buffy  
><strong>Gender: <strong>Male  
><strong>Age: <strong>6 years  
><strong>Birth Date: <strong>June 1st (Gemini), 2045  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Short, messy, jet black, with traditional Kimu bangs  
><strong>Eyes: <strong>Orange, round, bright  
><strong>Height: <strong>3' 5"  
><strong>Blood Type: <strong>O  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Kantoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer, Student  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Beta Line _(past)__  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>None  
><strong>Hometown: <strong>Pallet Town, Kanto _(past)_  
><strong>Relatives: <strong>Gold Kimu Jr. (father), Topaz Kimu (mother), Xanthe Kimu (older sister), Cadmium Kimu (older brother), Maize Kimu (older sister), Vanilla Kimu (older sister), Beige Kimu (twin brother), Amethyst Kimu (uncle), Cerise Kimu (aunt), Ridley Kimu (first cousin), Pembe Kimu (first cousin), Brick Kimu (first cousin), Chrysocolla Kimu (first cousin), Magenta Kimu (first cousin), Iolite Kaigun (aunt), Navy Kaigun (uncle), Astra Kaigun (first cousin), Marine Kaigun (first cousin), Ametrine Kaigun (first cousin), Crimson Rosso (uncle), Indigo Rosso (aunt), Garnet Rosso (first cousin), Teal Rosso (first cousin), Orange Rosso (uncle), Soul Emeraudo (second cousin), Esmeralda Senri (third cousin), Bismuth Senri (fourth cousin), Zoisite Senri (fourth cousin), Gold Kimu Sr. (paternal grandfather), Crystal Kimu (paternal grandmother), Red Rosso (maternal grandfather), and Yellow Rosso (maternal grandmother)  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single, of course.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> Bolt Rosso-Senri _(Alpha)_; Delta Unknown  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
><strong>UNKNOWN.

* * *

><p><strong><strong><span>Beta Family Lines: (Year 2051)<span>****

**Special (Red {62} and Yellow {60}): **Topaz {38} (Xanthe {16}, Cadmium & Maize {13}, Vanilla {10}, Beige & Buff {6}), Cerise {36} (Ridley & Pembe {18}, Brick {16}, Chrysocolla {13}, Magenta {11}), Crimson {34} (Garnet {10}, Teal {7}, Zaffre {5}, Lavender {3}), and Orange {24} (Rowan & Sienna {newborn})

**Harmony (Blue {62} and Neela {61}): **Cyan {36} (Duke {15}, Forest {14}, Azure {13}, Hunter & Sky {12}), Indigo {34} (Garnet {10}, Teal {7}, Zaffre {5}, Lavender {3}), Cobalt {31} (unknown), and Larimar {29} (unknown)

**MangaQuest (Gold Sr. {59} and Crystal {59}): **Amethyst {39} (Ridley & Pembe {18}, Brick {16}, Chrysocolla {13}, Magenta {11}), Iolite {38} (Astra {16}, Marine {14}, Ametrine {12}), Gold Jr. {37} (Xanthe {16}, Cadmium & Maize {13}, Vanilla {10}, Beige & Buff {6}), and Poppy {24} (Rowan & Sienna {newborn})

****Chosen (Silver {59} and Green {62}): ****Jade {34} (Duke {15}, Forest {14}, Azure {13}, Hunter & Sky {12}), Argentum {27} (Slate {2}, Perlita {newborn}), and Clover {24} (unknown)

**Frantic (Ruby {57} and Sapphire {57}): **Rubin {31} (Bismuth {6}, Zoisite {3}), Sapphira {31} (Alexandrite {6}, Obsidian {4}), and Kyanite {24} (unknown)

**Spring (Emerald {56} and Soul {56}): **Esmeralda {31} (Bismuth {6}, Zoisite {3}), Emeraldo {29} (unknown), and Heart {27} (unknown)

**Culinary (Diamond {54} and Ianthe {54}): **Jasper {29} (unknown), Diomond {27} (unknown), and Violette {24} (none)

**Haughty (Pearl {54} and Platina {54}): **Plato {29} (unknown) and Perla {27} (unknown)

**Agency (Black {56} and White {56}): **Grey {32} (Alexandrite {6}, Obsidian {4}) and Ivorline {27} (unknown)

**Key: **(mean children), [mean descendent], {mean age}

* * *

><p><strong>TEAM ROCKET<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Name:<strong> Giovanni Sakaki  
><strong>Nickname: <strong>Gio  
><strong>Gender:<strong> Male  
><strong>Age:<strong> 14 years  
><strong>Birth Date:<strong> January 24th (Aquarius), 5004  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Shaggy, straight, brown, long enough to be pulled back into a short ponytail  
><strong>Eyes:<strong> Silver, round, sharp, friendly  
><strong>Height: <strong>5' 6"**  
>Blood Type<strong>: O  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Kantoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Alpha Line _(future)__  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>Unknown  
><strong>Hometown:<strong> Unknown  
><strong>Relatives:<strong> Johan Sakaki _(father)_, deceased mother  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single. He has a crush on Amber Rosso-Senri, and is doing something about it.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> N/A  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
>JOLTEON<strong> - Male - Jolteon - Level 50 - Electric - Volt Absorb - Calm nature - Flash, Thunder Fang, Pin Missile, Discharge, Last Resort, Thunder  
><strong>BRAVIARY<strong> - Male - Braviary - Level 71 - Normal/Flying - Huge Power - Brave nature - Air Slash, Fly, Crush Claw, Sky Drop, Superpower, Brave Bird  
><strong>GALLADE<strong> - Male - Gallade - Level 83 - Psychic/Fighting - Steadfast - Serious nature - Heal Pulse, Swords Dance, Psycho Cut, Feint, Protect, Close Combat  
><strong>LAPRAS<strong> - Female - Lapras - Level 69 - Water/Ice - Water Absorb - Timid nature - Surf, Perish Song, Ice Beam, Safeguard, Hydro Pump, Sheer Cold  
><strong>ABSOL<strong> - Female - Absol - Level 69 - Dark - Super Luck - Naughty nature - Night Slash, Detect, Psycho Cut, Sucker Punch, Razor Wind, Perish Song

* * *

><p><strong>Name:<strong> Zlato Ama  
><strong>Nickname: <strong>Z  
><strong>Gender:<strong> Male  
><strong>Age:<strong> 16 years  
><strong>Birth Date:<strong> June 1st (Taurus), 5002  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Shaggy, wildly curly, golden blonde, with slight spiking to the side  
><strong>Eyes:<strong> Orange, round, sharp  
><strong>Height: <strong>5' 5"**  
>Blood Type<strong>: AB  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Kantoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer, Admin  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Alpha Line _(future)_, Team Rocket _(future)  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>Unknown  
><strong>Hometown:<strong> Unknown  
><strong>Relatives:<strong> Flax Ama _(father)_, Topaz Rosso-Senri _(mother)_, Rubin Senri _(stepfather)_, Copal Rosso-Senri _(younger half sister)_, Corundum Rosso-Senri _(younger half brother)_, Amber Rosso-Senri _(younger half sister)_, Lapis Lazuli Rosso-Senri _(younger half sister)_, Blaze Rosso-Senri _(younger half brother)_, Bolt Rosso-Senri _(younger half brother)_, Cerise Kazuo _(aunt)_, Shirou Kazuo _(uncle)_, Finnian Kazuo _(first cousin)_, Carmine Kazuo _(first cousin)_, Emery Kazuo _(first cousin)_, Sable Kazuo _(first cousin)_, Crimson Rosso _(uncle)_, Indigo Rosso _(aunt)_, Garnet Rosso _(first cousin)_, Teal Rosso _(first cousin)_, Zaffre Rosso _(first cousin)_, Lavender Rosso _(first cousin)_, Orange Rosso _(uncle), _Red Rosso _(maternal grandfather)_, and Yellow Rosso _(maternal grandmother)_  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single. His current feelings are unknown.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> N/A  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
>HYPERION<strong> - Male - Raichu - Level 59 - Electric - Static - Rash nature - Thunderbolt, Iron Tail, Double Team, Giga Impact, Thunder, Wild Charge  
><strong>PALLAS<strong> - Male - Ampharos - Level 54 - Electric - Static - Serious nature - Thunder Punch, Charge, Thunder Wave, Thunderbolt, Fire Punch, Brick Break  
><strong>THEIA<strong> - Female - Manectric - Level 54 - Electric - Lightningrod - Bold nature - Bite, Spark, Thunderbolt, Thunder Fang, Howl, Leer  
><strong>ASTERIA<strong> - Female - Pachirisu - Level 54 - Electric - Pickup - Mischievous mature - Quick Attack, Spark, Swift, Electro Ball, Sweet Kiss, Thunderbolt  
><strong>KRONOS<strong> - Male - Zebstrika - Level 54 - Electric - Motor Drive - Sassy nature - Shock Wave, Flame Charge, Spark, Stomp, Discharge, Thunder

* * *

><p><strong>Name:<strong> Altan Marun  
><strong>Nickname: <strong>Alt  
><strong>Gender:<strong> Male  
><strong>Age:<strong> 16 years  
><strong>Birth Date:<strong> June 3rd (Taurus), 5002  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Shaggy, messy, crimson  
><strong>Eyes:<strong> Red, round, sharp  
><strong>Height: <strong>5' 8"**  
>Blood Type<strong>: A  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Kantoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer, Admin  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Alpha Line _(future)_, Team Rocket _(future)  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>Unknown  
><strong>Hometown:<strong> Unknown  
><strong>Relatives:<strong> Maroon Marun _(father)_, Sapphira Kimu _(mother)_, Scarlet Marun _(stepmother)_, Carnelian Marun _(younger half sister)_, Gold Kimu Jr. _(stepfather)_, Opal Kimu _(younger half sister)_, Aurum Kimu _(younger half brother)_, Mica Kimu _(younger half brother)_, Xenon Kimu _(younger half brother)_, Jet Kimu _(younger half brother)_, Rubin Senri _(uncle)_, Topaz Rosso-Senri _(aunt)_, Copal Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Corundum Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Amber Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Lapis Lazuli Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Blaze Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Bolt Rosso-Senri _(first cousin)_, Kyanite Senri _(uncle)_, Ruby Senri _(maternal grandfather)_, and Sapphire Senri _(maternal grandmother)_  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single. His current feelings are unknown.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> N/A  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
>CHARIZARD<strong> - Male - Charizard - Level 59 - Fire/Flying - Blaze - Brave nature - Moves unknown  
><strong>TYPHLOSION<strong> - Female - Typhlosion - Level 57 - Fire - Blaze - Hasty nature - Moves unknown  
><strong>BLAZIKEN<strong> - Female - Blaziken - Level 57 - Fire/Fighting - Blaze - Adamant nature - Moves unknown  
><strong>INFERNAPE<strong> - Male - Infernape - Level 57 - Fire/Fighting - Blaze - Bold nature - Moves unknown  
><strong>EMBOAR<strong> - Male - Emboar - Level 57 - Fire/Fighting - Blaze - Serious nature - Moves unknown  
><strong>FENNEKIN<strong> - Female - Fennekin - Level 19 - Fire - Blaze - Quirky nature - Moves unknown

* * *

><p><strong>Name:<strong> Kaito Kaigun  
><strong>Nickname: <strong>None  
><strong>Gender:<strong> Male  
><strong>Age:<strong> 16 years  
><strong>Birth Date:<strong> June 4th (Taurus), 5002  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Shaggy, sloppy, short, dark blue, with traditional Kimu bangs  
><strong>Eyes:<strong> Blue, round, sharp, mischievous  
><strong>Height: <strong>5' 8"**  
>Blood Type<strong>: O  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Kantoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer, Admin  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Alpha Line _(future)_, Team Rocket _(future)  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>Unknown  
><strong>Hometown:<strong> Unknown  
><strong>Relatives:<strong> Navy Kaigun _(father)_, Iolite Kimu _(mother)_, Dodger Kaigun _(younger half brother)_, Grey Kuro _(stepfather)_, Cadet Kuro _(older stepbrother)_, Arylide Kuro _(younger half sister)_, Quartz Kuro _(younger half sister)_, Onyx Kuro _(younger half brother)_, Ivory Kuro _(younger half sister)_, Gold Kimu Sr. _(maternal grandfather)_, and Crystal Kimu _(maternal grandmother)_  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single. His current feelings are unknown.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> N/A  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
>BLASTOISE<strong> - Male - Blastoise - Level 59 - Water - Torrent - Calm nature - Moves unknown  
><strong>FERALIGATR<strong> - Male - Feraligatr - Level 57 - Water - Torrent - Quirky nature - Moves unknown  
><strong>SWAMPERT<strong> - Male - Swampert - Level 57 - Water/Ground - Torrent - Docile nature - Moves unknown  
><strong>EMPOLEON<strong> - Female - Empoleon - Level 57 - Water/Steel - Torrent - Careful nature - Moves unknown  
><strong>SAMUROTT<strong> - Female - Samurott - Level 57 - Water - Torrent - Impish nature - Moves unknown  
><strong>FROAKIE<strong> - Male - Froakie - Level 19 - Water - Torrent - Quiet nature - Moves unknown

* * *

><p><strong>Name:<strong> Midori Aoao  
><strong>Nickname: <strong>None  
><strong>Gender:<strong> Female  
><strong>Age:<strong> 16 years  
><strong>Birth Date:<strong> June 5th (Taurus), 5002  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Straight, boy short, neat, emerald green  
><strong>Eyes:<strong> Green, round, calm, shy  
><strong>Height: <strong>5' 4"**  
>Blood Type<strong>: B  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Kantoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer, Admin  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Alpha Line _(future)_, Team Rocket _(future)  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>Unknown  
><strong>Hometown:<strong> Unknown  
><strong>Relatives:<strong> Verdant Aoao _(father)_, Jade Berlitz-Palmer _(mother)_, Denver Aoao _(adoptive brother)_, Plato Berlitz-Palmer _(stepfather)_, Bronze Berlitz-Palmer _(younger half brother)_, Galena Berlitz-Palmer _(younger half sister)_, Titanium Berlitz-Palmer _(younger half sister)_, Silver Sakaki _(maternal grandfather)_, Green Sakaki _(maternal grandmother)_, and Giovanni Sakaki _(maternal great grandfather)_  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single. Her current feelings are unknown.  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> N/A  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
>VENUSAUR<strong> - Female - Venusaur - Level 57 - Grass/Poison - Overgrow - Docile nature - Moves unknown  
><strong>MEGANIUM<strong> - Female - Meganium - Level 55 - Grass - Overgrow - Sassy nature - Moves unknown  
><strong>SCEPTILE<strong> - Male - Sceptile - Level 55 - Grass - Overgrow - Bold nature - Moves unknown  
><strong>TORTERRA<strong> - Female - Torterra - Level 55 - Grass/Ground - Overgrow - Lax nature - Moves unknown  
><strong>SERPERIOR<strong> - Male - Serperior - Level 55 - Grass - Overgrow - Naughty nature - Moves unknown  
><strong>CHESPIN<strong> - Male - Chespin - Level 18 - Grass - Overgrow - Impish nature - Moves unknown

* * *

><p><strong>Name:<strong> Ruzova Mazenta  
><strong>Nickname: <strong>Ruz  
><strong>Gender:<strong> Female  
><strong>Age:<strong> 16 years  
><strong>Birth Date:<strong> June 2nd (Taurus), 5002  
><strong>Hair: <strong>Long, messy, pink, usually down  
><strong>Eyes:<strong> Pink, sharp, fierce  
><strong>Height: <strong>5' 6"**  
>Blood Type<strong>: O  
><strong>Accent:<strong> Kantoan  
><strong>Occupation:<strong> Trainer, Admin  
><strong>Affiliations:<strong> Alpha Line _(future)_, Team Rocket _(future)  
><em>**Pokedex:** N/A  
><strong>Badges: <strong>Unknown  
><strong>Hometown:<strong> Unknown  
><strong>Relatives:<strong> Grey Kuro _(father)_, Pink Mazenta _(mother)_, Iolite Kuro _(stepmother)_, Cadet Kuro _(older brother)_, Arylide Kuro _(younger half sister)_, Quartz Kuro _(younger half sister)_, Onyx Kuro _(younger half brother)_, Ivory Kuro _(younger half sister)_, Black Kuro _(paternal grandfather)_, and White Kuro _(paternal grandmother)_  
><strong>Social Status: <strong>Single. She seems to be very protective of Giovanni Sakaki, but why?  
><strong>Counterpart:<strong> N/A  
><strong><span>Team:<span>  
>MUNNA<strong> - Female - Munna - Level 57 - Psychic - Forewarn - Hardy nature - Psybeam, Moonlight, Hypnosis, Zen Headbutt, Nightmare, Psychic  
><strong>CLEFAIRY<strong> - Female - Clefairy - Level 55 - Normal - Cute Charm - Naughty nature - Bestow, Wake-Up Slap, Pound, Defense Curl, Double Slap, Strength  
><strong>JIGGLYPUFF<strong> - Female - Jigglypuff - Level 55 - Normal/_Fairy_ - Cute Charm - Naive nature - Double Slap, Rollout, Round, Sing, Disable, Ice Beam  
><strong>PORYGON2<strong> - Unknown - Porygon2 - Level 55 - Normal - Download - Quiet nature - Magnet Rise, Recover, Psybeam, Tackle, Hyper Beam, Thunderbolt

* * *

><p><strong>OTHER INFO<strong>

* * *

><p><strong><span>PokeSpe Timeline:<span>**

Red/Blue/Green Arc: 2000  
>Yellow: 2002<br>Gold/Silver/Crystal: 2003  
>RubySapphire: 2005  
>FireRedLeafGreen: 2006  
>Emerald: 2006<br>Diamond/Pearl: 2008  
>Platinum: 2009<br>HeartGold/SoulSilver: 2009  
>BlackWhite: 2010  
>Black 2White 2: 2012  
>XY: 2013

Alpha Line _(branch off Beta/Gamma)_: 4998 - 5018  
>Beta Line <em>(original)<em>: 2031 - 2051  
>Gamma Line <em>(developed from Beta)<em>: 10,000  
>Delta Line <em>(original)<em>: 2031 - 2051  
>Sigma Line <em>(parallel of Alpha)<em>: 4998 - ?  
>Zeta Line <em>(branch off Alpha)<em>: 5006 - ?  
>Omega Line <em>(combination of Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Zeta)<em>: Forming; 2051/5018/5023 - ?/?/?

* * *

><p><span>Regional Accents:<span>

Kanto - General American

Johto - New York City

Hoenn - California

Sinnoh - New England

Unova - Inland Northern American

Kalos - N/A, Land of Fairytales

* * *

><p><strong>Updated 926/13. **

**Note: The second half of the character files may not be posted for a while. For sure, it will contain the Alpha Parents, the Neo-Indigo League, and Team Plasma.**


	4. 3: Saving Celebi and Dialga's Distress

**Note: Edited**

* * *

><p><strong><span>EVERMORE<span>**

**~Sequel Of The Forever Trilogy~**

**Chapter 3**

**Saving Celebi and Dialga's Distress**

_Monday, August 16, 2051._

_(?'s POV)_

I was sitting in Viridian Forest as I normally did, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere with my pikachu Pipi, my bulbasaur Saurano, and my doduo, Dodani. I liked it here. It helped me clear my thoughts, relax, and get away from all the chaos with my family and friends. I loved them, but sometimes it was just too much to take.

I leaned backwards, resting my head on Dodani's soft back. The forest was vast, and we were surrounded by trees, but I could still see the bright blue sky above. The sky was totally clear—there was not a cloud in the sky. The towering trees shielded me from the beaming rays of the sun, making it cooler here than in the city.

Pipi was dozing on my chest, and Saurano was on my right side, munching on the cookies I baked earlier especially for my pokemon. I, unlike my brother and friends, didn't like battling. I hated seeing pokemon hurt, and didn't like violence in any shape or form. I guessed it helped that I could read pokemon's minds and heal them and such.

My brother, Cadmium, or Cad as he preferred, should be returning from challenging the Kanto Gyms soon. I was looking forward to seeing him. Also, Duke, Forest, and Brick were due to come back from Johto any day now. Chrysocolla, or Chrys as she went by—call her by her full name and she'd kick your butt—should also be returning from Johto, though she lived in Johto, so I didn't see her often.

I was the only one who didn't want to go on a journey. My friend Azure, Duke and Forest's younger sister, wanted to go, but her mom said no. Azure didn't really have a goal in mind, anyway, so it wasn't a big deal. I was glad she stayed in Kanto; I would have been lonely without her.

I closed my eyes, relaxed enough to take a nap, but my pokegear goes off, ruining the peaceful silence. I sighed, open my eyes, and picked up the device. I answered it after a moment, taking my time. I knew the person who was calling me had all the time in the world.

"Yes, Mom?" I said once I answered.

"Your brother's home," she told me. "You need to come home. We're having lunch together. The Oaks are coming over too. Okay, Maize?"

"Okay," I said. "I'm on my way, Mom!"

"All right, thanks, honey!"

I guess I should introduce myself. My name's Maize Kimu. My parents were Gold Kimu Jr. and Topaz Kimu. They were the kids of the original Pokedex owners. My dad's parents were Gold Sr. and Crystal, and my mom's parents were Red and Yellow. I saw my maternal grandparents more than anything, and I was very close with Grandma Yellow. Cad was my twin brother, and I had a older sister named Xanthe, a younger sister named Vanilla, and two twin little brothers, Beige and Buff. And I had loads of cousins.

I put my pokegear away, and stood up, lifting Pipi off my chest. Saurano looked up at me, as did Dodani. The doduo rose to her feet, and the bulbasaur sighed before stuffing the last cookie into his mouth. Pipi leaped onto my shoulder, and then I reached down to grab my bag.

"Let's go home, guys," I said.

Saurano and Dodani faithfully followed me as we headed out of the peaceful forest, into the bustling city of Viridian. No one really paid us any attention; everyone was too busy with their lives. Most people didn't know how the original Pokedex holders, and the second generation of Pokedex holders, my parents and their friends, saved the world. No one knew how the world was once in danger. They lived in their peaceful ignorance. Some say ignorance was bliss, but I couldn't believe that.

My aunt Indigo was the leader of the Viridian Gym. She took over when her father, the Pokedex holder Blue, retired, taking his grandfather's place as the new Professor Oak. The original Professor Oak had been dead for a while now. I wished I could have met him.

It didn't take long to get out of Viridian City; I knew the way around it like the back of my hand. And it didn't take long to reach my hometown of Pallet, one of the few human inhabited places that wasn't polluted somehow. It had gotten a lot bigger than it was fifty years ago, though.

Anyone who passed by us greets me. I politely greeted them back, as do my pokemon. We were known across town, of course. Everyone around here knew about my parents and grandparents. It was the only place that really paid attention to reality.

I took out Dodani's poke ball when I reached my house, and returned her since larger pokemon weren't allowed inside, only the backyard, where most of my parents' pokemon stayed whenever they were at home. I let myself in, and headed for the living room, where I heard excited conversation.

"-and then Thor finally took out Blaster! It took _forever_! I thought I'd never beat Aunt Indi!"

I entered the living room to see my brother standing, talking excitedly about his last battle, making fast hand gestures as he talked. Cad was only a inch taller than me, making him very short for a boy. He had sloppy golden blonde hair styled like our dad's and paternal grandfather's, and gold eyes.

Our parents were sitting on the loveseat, while all of the Oaks were crammed onto the sofa, with the younger kids sitting on the floor. Now the Oaks were a rather large family, full of kids born in a row. Their parents were Cyan—the oldest son of Blue—and Jade—the eldest daughter of Silver and Green.

Duke was the oldest, at fifteen, and was probably the second most experienced trainer out of us kids. He had messy, longish, slightly spiky brown hair, and blue eyes. He was pretty tall, standing at six feet. He was a happy-go-lucky, jolly guy who loved to have fun and battle. He was also kind of dense and oblivious when it came to others feelings.

Next was Forest, who was fourteen. He had spiky red hair, and striking green eyes, and was also on the tall side. He was the total opposite of his older brother; he was very serious, kind of quiet, and had this tranquil rage that was very scary. He was very protective of his younger sisters, and you could see him give any boys who even looked at them death glares.

Azure was the third child, and was my age, thirteen. She had super long brown hair, and mischievous blue eyes. This girl was a troublemaker. She was a flirt, constantly teasing boys, which drove Forest _nuts_. Azure had no shame at all. I loved her, but she was just so... _loose_. She loved to mess around.

Last but not least were twins Hunter and Sky, who were twelve. They both had auburn hair, but Hunter had green eyes, and Sky had blue. Now these two you wanted to watch out for. They were very close, worked as a team, and were masters of all things bad. They were always up to no good, so never ever trust them.

My other younger siblings were sitting on the floor with Hunter and Sky.

Vanilla was ten years old, and was absolutely beautiful. She had long, wavy platinum blonde hair, and gold eyes. But her eyes were cloudy with blindness. She was born blind, and had been that way her whole life. She had a extremely acute sense of hearing and touch. She loved to play the piano, and had memorized all the keys, and you would often find her playing her own songs. Out of all of us Kimu kids, she had the most psychic abilities. She could do everything Grandma Yellow could do, and sometimes she even had visions of the future. She was the sweetest thing I knew, and was so optimistic. She was never bitter about being blind. Never bitter at all.

Beige and Buff were twins, and were six years old. They were identical—they both had black hair like Grandpa Red, and orange eyes like Mom. They were pretty sweet kids, but were already showing perverted sides from our dear dad and paternal grandpa. I feared for them in the future.

"Cad!" I exclaimed, happy to see my brother.

He turned around, and grinned when he sees me. "Maizy!"

We hugged, and when we pulled apart, I saw a soft smile on Vanilla's face as she looked at us in our general direction. She especially loved it when everyone was together.

"Sorry if I made you wait," I said mareepishly.

"It's okay, honey," Mom said, standing up. "Lunch isn't quite ready anyways. Jade, you want to help?"

"Of course!" Jade exclaimed, hopping up.

They left to go into the kitchen, leaving the rest of us alone. Dad stifled a yawn, and then stood up, saying he wanted to show Cyan something. The two men headed upstairs, probably to the Judgement Room, which was where my parents kept all the memorabilia of the band they had as teenagers.

"So, Cad," Azure said once we're alone. "You have all the Kanto badges?"

My brother grinned, eager for a excuse to brag. "Yeah! You wanna see?"

Her eyes sparkled. "That would be marvelous!"

I noticed Forest narrowing his eyes at my brother while Duke struck up a conversation with Vanilla, making her laugh, which was good. Uh oh, I better distract him. I walked over to the Oaks' couch, and plopped down next to him, catching his attention, which was my purpose.

"Hi Forest," I said.

"Maize," he said.

"How was Johto?" I asked. "Did you like it?"

"It was all right," he said. "It's more like Kanto than you realize. I'm hoping to go to Hoenn soon."

As soon as he said that, my heart sank. I didn't want him to go anywhere else. I wanted him to stay here. He was always traveling, training his pokemon to become stronger. He had yet to understand that getting stronger was not the answer, and maybe if he actually stuck around I could teach him that... But until then...

"Oh... Already?" I tucked a strand of stray hair behind my ear. "But you just got back..."

His expression softened. "Well, I don't have to leave right away. I guess I could hang around for a little bit."

I gave him a tiny smile. "I would like that, Forest..."

...

_Thursday, August 26, 2051._

_(Forest's POV)_

Something was not right.

I was walking through Ilex Forest with Marine. He was the son of Navy and Iolite Kaigun, the same age as me. He had messy dark blue hair, and blue eyes. He was just like his dad—he was friends with just about everyone. He was into battling, so we often trained together, which was why we were in the forest today.

But the atmosphere was thick and heavy. No pokemon were in sight. It was too quiet.

"Something's wrong," I said, turning my head to look at my companion.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Marine said with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes at him. "You're welcome, Lieutenant Sarcasm."

We grew silent once again, and I released my umbreon because of the thick tension, just in case something in here was dangerous. Marine already had his feraligatr out. I would release my own starter, my charizard, but fire was dangerous in a forest, even with a water type nearby.

Then we heard a horrible, pained sound that most definitely was not human. We exchanged startled glances before rushing into the clearing with the Ilex Shrine. And we found ourselves before the strangest sight.

A pulsing portal of brilliant white light was in front of the shrine, and a shiny celebi was convulsing in the air, glowing, crying out in pain. It was obvious the legendary pokemon was injured; its fur was burned, and it was covered in bruises, cuts, and scrapes.

"What... What is this?" Marine said, his eyes wide with horror.

"I... I don't know." I hated not knowing anything, but this... Whatever it was, was very, very bad. It was giving off a ominous feel.

The celebi cried out again, pressing its tiny hands against its temples, its eyes squeezed shut. I was so glad that Maize wasn't here with us; seeing any pokemon like this would have terrorized her, frightened her, made her want to help. And I sure didn't want her near that strange portal.

"Well, at least we should try to help Celebi," Marine said, and I nodded in agreement.

I took out a poke ball, and released my porygon-z. "Psychic," I told it. "Try to bring the celebi over here."

It beeped its response, and then proceeded to use the move. The convulsing celebi was surrounded by magenta light, and Porygon-Z struggled to move the pokemon. I grit my teeth as I watched the struggle. It took ten minutes just to get the celebi to budge a inch.

"This ain't working, bro," Marine said, looking frustrated. "Maybe we should try to catch it?"

"Capture a legendary pokemon?" I scoffed. "That's impossible without a Master Ball!"

"Not necessarily," Marine said, waggling his finger at me. "My grandma did it, why can't we?"

"We're not all Crystal Kimu, Marine."

"Ugh, stop being such a pessimist! I have no idea what Maizy sees in you."

"Excuse me? What was that?"

"Oh, nothing!"

I proceeded to ignore him as Porygon-Z began to make some more headway. But this was taking too long, and my pokemon was beginning to get tired. This was so frustrating. What could I do? What _could_ we do? But I couldn't just leave this celebi like this.

"Why don't we try having one of our pokemon grab it?" Marine suggested.

"Humph, I guess we can try," I said, shrugging.

"All right!" he said, pumping his fist into the air. "Feraligatr, try grabbing Celebi!"

The big jaw pokemon made its way to the tortured pink celebi. It latched onto the pokemon carefully, and I told Porygon-Z to release its Psychic to not interfere. The feraligatr struggled to make the celebi move, but to much of our surprise, it worked. The celebi stopped glowing, and collapsed in Feraligatr's arms with a pained cry.

"Knew it would work!" Marine exclaimed, grinning. "C'mon, we gotta hurry. It's too dangerous to take it to a Pokemon Center, so maybe we should see if Maize will heal it!"

I grimaced, but nodded. Maize would definitely freak out seeing a pokemon with the injuries this celebi had, but we had no other choice. She was the only one who could help it, unless we tracked down Topaz or Cerise, or maybe even Yellow. But she was the easiest to find, and for some reason I felt like getting the adults involved would be a bad idea.

Feraligatr walks over to us as I return Porygon-Z to its poke ball. The pokemon hands the injured celebi to Marine, who gently takes it. Then we silently leave the forest. We release our flying pokemon, and tell them to return to Pallet.

...

"Poor Celebi," Buff muttered, watching his older sister carefully as she tended to the injured legendary pokemon.

We were sitting at the dining table in Maize's house. The injured celebi was wrapped up in a blanket as my friend took care of it. Her twin little brothers were watching with interest and concern; they had no idea what was going on, but neither do we.

Maize was already exhausted, so she had switched to old fashioned healing items. Marine and I watched her quietly, staying silent. There was nothing to say, anyway.

"How... How did this happen?" Maize asked us quietly, looking up momentarily from her work.

"We have no idea, cuz," Marine replied. "We just found Celebi convulsing in pain near a freaky pulsing portal of white light near the Ilex Shrine. We had to save it, you know?"

I leaned back in my chair and crossed my arms. "I feel like everything is about to change. Something's not right. But the question is _what_?"

Maize looked at me, her gold eyes wide with horror. "W-What do you mean?"

"That portal was hurting Celebi," I stated. "Nothing else could have been. I want to know what that portal is."

"No!" she shouted, shocking us all. "I-I mean... Please don't look into it... You might get hurt, Forest... This... This is big... Bigger than anything else we, our parents, or grandparents have ever faced..."

"I know," I said flatly. "But we can't just let this go. It could get worse. We have to stop it while we can."

She bit her bottom lip, and then glanced over at the peacefully snoozing Celebi. She tucked a strand of stray hair before returning her attention back to us. I couldn't recognize the emotion in her eyes. What was wrong, I wondered?

"Just... be careful... Please," she finally said, fidgeting in her seat.

"I always am."

...

_(No One's POV)_

The furious roar of the massive dragon echoed across his domain. Before his very eyes, the fabric of time was slowly crackling like glass, and just a tiny push would send it shattering. A snarl appeared on his lips as he whirled around his realm. This was unimaginable; to think the actions of one insolent human were ending the world!

Dialga could only do so much to prevent the timelines from collapsing on themselves, or even worse... _combining_.

The blue dragon swerved around, and flew over to where two of the most influential timelines, that had split from a single timeline, were entwining. Each timeline was like a magical, glowing string. Dialga could see everything that was happening in order, flashing before his eyes like a movie.

Dialga squeezed his crimson eyes shut as the pained cries of Celebi echoed in his head. There was no way to escape it; the celebi in the Alpha Line, the dominate line of the single timeline that had divided, and the celebi in the Beta Line, the weaker timeline, were both in pain, the Beta Celebi more so than the Alpha.

The temporal pokemon was furious. There was nothing he could do to fix this. Only the Red Chain could bring him into one of the timelines. He was stuck in his own dimension.

This was why Dialga did not trust humans. They wanted to change time, and that created paradoxes that would slowly rot away the fabric of time like a disease. And the Alpha and Beta Line's disease was slowly drifting to the other stable timelines. Soon even the Delta and Iota Lines, the parallel lines to Alpha and Beta, would be dragged over to combine. Which meant everything would crash, and the whole universe would be no more.

Then Arceus would be involved. And that would most definitely not be good.

...

_Friday, August 27, 2051._

_(Magenta's POV)_

"Biiiiiiiiii!"

Celebi was all better now! She was flying around us with joyful cries, tugging at our hair when she flew by. She especially seemed to have bonded with Maize, which made sense since she healed Celebi. I had no idea how Maize and Cad kept Celebi a secret from their parents.

I giggled as the pink celebi whizzes by me, tugging at my blonde pigtails.

"Celebi!" she cried, spinning around in the air above us.

"So," Cad said. "What are we going to do?"

Everyone grew silent. This seemed to effect Celebi since she stopped flying, freezing in the air, and then slowly went over to Maize, landing on top of the older girl's head. The silence persisted for several minutes until my cousin Garnet came bursting in with a laptop, his little sister Teal chasing after him.

"Guys, guys! I found something really freaky!"

Garnet and Teal Rosso were my uncle Crimson and aunt Indigo's kids. Gar was the oldest, at ten, and Teal was seven. They looked almost nothing alike, so strangers were often surprised to find out they were related. I thought it was funny.

Garnet had spiky brown hair that seemed to be a combo of Grandpa Red's and Aunt Indigo's dad's hair. It started out spiking on the back of his head like Blue's, but then stopped with giant spikes like Grandpa Red's, with floppy bangs like his. His eyes were red. He was always wearing a red and white baseball cap.

Teal had thick black hair that spiked slightly behind her bangs, but that was about it. Her hair was pretty long, and she usually kept it up in a high ponytail. Her eyes were blue. People usually thing she was Maize's sister since they looked pretty similar, except for the spiky part of her hair and eyes.

"What is is?" Forest asked; he was their cousin through their mom.

Garnet handed the older boy his laptop. We all crammed close to see what he was talking about. It looked like a blog owned by a super girly girl; I loved the colors she chose! Oooh, but what was the big deal about this blog?

"Read it!" Gar exclaimed.

"It's really freaky!" Teal added.

* * *

><p><em>Lena Love<em>

_Posted August 17, 5018: Hey everyone! So, I finally managed to convince some friends of mine to get blogs! I thought it'd be a great way to record our adventures, you know? Anyways, you should check them out! They're awesome people! (Read More)_

_Comment: MORE LIKE YOU F***ING FORCED US, B***H! -Amber Rosso-Senri_  
><em>Comment: Come on, it's not that big of a deal. Chill, sis. -Corundum Rosso-Senri<em>  
><em>Comment: I hate you. You are so lucky you're out of Pallet. -Akane Chrise<em>  
><em>Comment: Ahahaha, this is going to be awesome! -Dodger Kaigun<em>  
><em>Comment: Dear Arceus. Why, Galena? -Pyrite Kimu<em>  
><em>Comment: I think I can survive this. -Opal Kimu<em>  
><em>Comment: Woot, this is gonna be awesome! -Aurum Kimu<em>  
><em>Comment: Heh, you kids are too good. -Cadet Kuro<em>  
><em>Comment: CADE! -Quartz Kuro<em>  
><em>Comment: Big Bro! Where are you? -Onyx Kuro<em>  
><em>Comment: Hey! :) I'm chilling with Finn, as always. We're in Unova right now. -Cadet Kuro<em>  
><em>Comment: OMG FINNY! TELL HIM I SAY HI! -Carmine Kazuo<em>  
><em>Comment: Sure, Carm! He says hi back! ^^ -Cadet Kuro<em>  
><em>Comment: YAY! You have to come to Kanto soon! -Carmine Kazuo<em>  
><em>Comment: You're all nuts. -Zircon Oak<em>  
><em>Comment: SHUT UP YOU B*****D! -Amber Rosso-Senri<em>  
><em>Comment: Whoa guys, chill. -Dodger Kaigun<em>  
><em>Comment: Aw, Zircy, you're no fun! -Galena Berlitz-Palmer<em>  
><em>Comment: Seriously, guys. Relax. There's no need to freak out. -Corundum Rosso-Senri<em>  
><em>Comment: Yeah, guys. -Pyrite Kimu<em>  
><em>Comment: SHUT UP YOU B*****D! NO ONE GIVES A D**N! -Amber Rosso-Senri<em>  
><em>Comment: Dear Arceus, you never change, do you? -Cadet Kuro<br>Comment: You just noticed that? -Zircon Oak_

* * *

><p>We all stared at the blog in horror. And it had nothing to do with the foul language.<p>

"Rosso-Senri?" Cad asked.

"KIMU?" Chrysocolla, or Chrys for short, demanded.

Chrys was my big sister. She was thirteen. She had black hair she wore in pigtails that slant upward. She was a lot like our mom, Cerise, personality wise. She was very intense, hotblooded, and had a pretty nasty temper. She was such a tomboy though; it gets on my nerves.

"Those are a lot of Kimus," Brick, my older brother, noted.

Brick was sixteen, the second oldest out of all of us, only younger than Ridley and Pembe. He was so tall, too, standing at six foot two. I personally thought he was the best trainer out of all the older kids. He had sloppy black hair and red eyes. He was a lot like our dad, Amethyst, being more quiet and serious than anything, though, also like our dad, he did have his moments. But he did have a passion for battle, and got pretty pumped up.

It ran in our family, I thought.

"ROSSO-_SENRI_?" Cad repeated. "What the hell? That is definitely not a common name!"

"None of our names are common," Forest said, frowning. "Especially the combinations."

"I told you this was important!" Garnet exclaimed.

"We can figure this out calmly and rationally," Maize said softly.

"Guys, did you not notice the date?" Duke asked. "Check it out!"

We all turned our attention to the post date. And we all gasped, startled. That was... That was impossible! No way!

"August sixteenth, five thousand eighteen?" Ametrine gasped.

Ametrine was a year older than me, at twelve, and was Marine's little sister. She had black hair that went down to her shoulders, and purple eyes. We were pretty good friends. She was a tomboy, but had a pretty obvious feminine side.

"Something's not right here," said Forest.

"Thanks, Captain Obvious," Marine said.

"You're welcome, Lieutenant Sarcasm."

Normally I would laugh when they did that, but right now this was really serious. Something bad was going to happen. Something really bad.

"Rosso-Senri sounds like a combo of Rosso and Senri," Cad continued, still obsessing over the weird last name. "So, what? It sounds like Mom married Rubin or something."

Chrys laughed. "Yeah right! That's a major time gap, and even so, this is the year _five thousand eighteen_. That's really far away, and unless for some reason our parents time traveled and ended up in the time at the same age, it would never happen. Just think about it. _Aunt Topaz and Rubin_. That's just insane!"

"Our parents are here, not in the future," Brick said.

"This is really creepy," I said, shivering.

"No duh," Brick said.

"So what are we going to do?" Azure asked.

"There's nothing we _can_ do," said Forest. "But-"

"Investigate!" Duke exclaimed. "C'mon, they're from Pallet by the sound of it! Let's investigate Pallet to see anything. I have a feeling this has to do with Celebi being injured."

So I guessed that was what we were going to do.

* * *

><p><strong>Confused, are you? Heh, well, that's kind of the point. I'm evil, I know.<strong>

**Yes, people, Dodge's last name is Kaigun. He's Navy's son, if you haven't figured that out already.**

**If you want to find out more about the mysterious new kids, check out the character files. I call them the Beta Crew.**

**So, did you see any ships yet? There's one that's pretty obvious already.**

**Also, tell me who is your favorite character in the Beta Crew so far!**

**You're going to like these guys, I think.**

**Oh yeah! Who are Cadet and Finn? You'll find out in either Forevermore or Evermore, most likely Evermore first.**

**ANYWAYS, ENOUGH MINDSCREW. GO AND REVIEW! We'll get to back to the Alpha Crew next chapter.**


	5. 4: The Gift of Deino

**Before you continue, I have to say I changed the tense back to past because present was just driving me INSANE. I'll go edit the other chapters later. Also... This chapter contains LOTS of spoilers/hints/annoying things for readers that makes them eager for everything and makes Icey laugh like the evil author she is. Mainly due to the War. ANYWAYS, CARRY ON.**

**Note: Edited**

* * *

><p><strong><span>EVERMORE<span>**

**~Sequel Of The Forever Trilogy~**

**Chapter 4**

**The Gift of Deino**

_Monday, August 16, 5018._

_(Amber's POV)_

Later on after the encounter with those Team Rocket goons, it started to get dark. And I was terrified of the dark. I tried to get everyone to pick up their pace, but it was pretty apparent we wouldn't get through the Viridian Forest before night fell. So we decided to stop and make camp for the night. I let Dodge and Pyrite do all the work; I was starting to get on edge, and Carmine was still pretty traumatized from the incident with the f**king lame Rockets.

But was getting f**king jittery now. Juno, Jupiter, and Mars noticed, of course. Juno was used to my fear, but the other two weren't. I was trying to stay calm, but it was really _really_ not working out for me right now.

F**k this, I couldn't take it anymore. I had to move. I leaped to my feet, catching the attention of Carmine rather than the boys. It wasn't quite so dark yet, but it was getting there. But I couldn't stay here either. I' would just have to risk it.

"I'm going for a walk," I announced.

Now _that_ caught the boys' attention.

"What? Are you nuts?" Pyrite exclaimed, giving me a incredulous look. "Miss Terrified Of The Dark?"

"Shut the hell up!" I snapped. "I'll f**king do whatever the f**k I want! Go f**king f**k off!"

I flipped him off before stalking away from them in anger, deeper into the forest. Juno, Jupiter, and Mars rushed after me. I was so angry I almost ran to get away from them, which was probably the stupidest thing I had done so far. Because it really started to get dark. And I was f**king lost.

S**t, I was really a dumba** sometimes.

I forced myself to keep walking; if I stopped moving, I'd start flipping out, and that really wouldn't be f**king good. I didn't bother to turn around; I'd just get even more lost if I tried to retrace my steps. It was getting dark really fast, and suddenly a loud crack of thunder sounded, making me flinch in surprise, and lightning brightened the sky.

Motherf**king weather! Of course it decided to f**king _thunderstorm_ now! Son of a b***h, giving me even more f**king problems. Not only was I lost in the dark, but soon I'd be drenched, cold, possibly zapped by lightning, _and_ p***ed off.

"Well, it could be f**king worse," I told my pokemon. "We could be violently attacked."

_"Ha, like anyone could hurt us!"_ Mars snorted, puffing out his little chest. _"All the pokemon in here are pathetically weak."_

How could I forget my rattata was a cocky b*****d? I rolled my eyes at him, but Juno wasn't particularly pleased with his comment.

_"My mom and grandpa are from this forest! Watch what you say, Mars!"_ the pikachu snapped, tensing, shooting him a glare.

Jupiter looked pretty annoyed at their bickering, but stayed out of it, sticking by my side, adding more light with the fire on his tail. I forced myself to keep moving, which made the two clashing pokemon shut up and rush to catch up. Good, served those b***hes.

More thunder crashed, and lightning lit up the sky. The temperature had begun to drop a little. I shivered slightly, and took my hoodie out of my bag, and slipped it on, zipping it up. My legs were still cold, but oh well. There was nothing I could do about that.

Ugh, I had to get out of this before it started.

We rounded a corner, and I was startled to find a person there, helping what appeared to be a wounded pidgeotto. It was a boy, a teenager, and I couldn't tell much else in the dark. Juno leaped up onto my shoulder, tensing. I froze in place, unsure of what to do. The boy obviously hadn't noticed me.

The pidgeotto made a pained squawking sound, and I winced. Ugh, I bet those f***king Team Rocket b*****ds did this! I couldn't stand back like this and not help it! And I needed to know, well, if the guy himself knew, what happened.

"Um, excuse me?" I called out to the person. "What happened?"

The boy looked up, startled by the sound of my voice. He didn't respond at first, instead saying something to a yellow blob at his feet. Suddenly, light flashed, blinding me for a moment. When it faded, I saw that the yellow blob was a jolteon, and that it used Flash to light up the area.

Flash... I f**king needed that move.

Now I got a better look at the boy. He had to be about fourteen or so, and was of average height. He had messy dark brown hair pulled back into a short, low ponytail, and striking silver eyes. He was wearing a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, a black vest, and blue jeans. He was actually kind of cute.

F**k, forget I even said that.

"This pidgeotto was caught in some sort of skirmish," he said. "Don't worry about it, kid."

My eye twitched, and my hands clenched into fists. "I'm not a kid, and I was here when some f**king Team Rocket b*****ds were running around wrecking the forest! I have a right to know!"

_"Yeah!"_ Juno exclaimed from my shoulder, backing me up.

The boy's eyes grew wide with surprise. "What? You look like you're ten! And Team Rocket? That's insane, they'd never do such a thing."

"WHAT ARE YOU F**KING ON?" I yelled. "I'm f**king _thirteen_ and last time I checked, those stupid Rockets were _stealing pokemon_!"

His jolteon growled at me, which made all three of my pokemon tense. I ignored it, too focused on this guy. He had to be on some sort of drug; everyone would agree with me that Team Rocket was full of a bunch of crooks.

"Oh, man, I'm so sorry!" he hastily began to apologize. "I'm really, really sorry! I mean, I shouldn't have assumed-"

"Shut up!" I snapped. "Screw that! Why are you supporting Team Rocket?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you anyway," he said. "I'm Giovanni Sakaki, but you can just call me Gio. Who are you?"

I narrowed my eyes at him suspiciously. "Amber Rosso-Senri."

His eyes grew wide again. "Rosso-Senri? As in the general in the Resistance? And the Gym leader of Viridian?"

I smiled smugly, and crossed my arms over my chest. "Yeah, she's my mom. And my pikachu here is her pikachu's offspring. You're a Sakaki? My friends' mom's maiden name is Sakaki. Are you descended from a Pokedex holder, too, or something?"

He seemed surprised by my onslaught of questions, but never got a chance to reply. A loud roar of thunder exploded, lightning flashed, and rain erupted from the clouds, drenching us. Cuss words started streaming out of my mouth in my anger. I yanked up my hood, and stuffed my ponytail inside it.

"Crap!" Gio exclaimed. "There's not enough shelter anywhere in here!"

"My friends set up camp somewhere, but I f**king got lost," I growled. "If we can find them, we'll be fine."

Man, if he didn't have a jolteon that knew Flash, I would be flipping s**t right now. I looked down at my pokemon, and saw that the rain had doused some of the flame on Jupiter's tail. S**t, that was not good. I hastily took out his poke ball and returned him.

"All right," he said. "Which way did you come from?"

"I don't f**king know!" I exclaimed in frustration, flailing my arms. "I got lost, okay?"

He sighed, and his jolteon even grumbled. I scowled, and my body shuddered from the cold. Arceus, I was f**king going to get a cold. That was exactly what I needed right now. _Exactly_.

"Let me see one of your pokemon," he said finally.

"What? Why?" I demanded, scowling some more.

"Just trust me," he said simply. "If I told you what I could do, you'd never believe me."

I narrowed my eyes again. "Humph. Fine. Mars, go see what he wants."

The rattata gave me a skeptical look before shrugging, and then walking up to Gio. He crouched down in front of the pokemon, and put his hand on his head. I frowned when he closed his eyes, and seemed to focus on something. Mars closed his eyes, too, and I swore I even saw some glowing, but that might just have been the Flash from the jolteon.

What the hell was he doing?

A couple minutes later, I was even more cold, and drenched to the bone. I had my arms wrapped around me, and I just wanted to get out of this f**king rain. Then he suddenly leaped up, and Mars returned to me, unharmed.

"I know where to go now," he said. "Let's go!"

"Wait, what? How the hell did you find that out?" I demanded.

He sighed heavily. "I can talk to pokemon, and read their memories. I read your rattata's memories so I could find out where you came from."

I stared at him with wide eyes. I so did not f**king see that coming. "You... you have Viridian powers?" I asked.

He shrugged. "If that's what you call them, I guess I do. Anyways, we need to get out of the rain. Just follow me."

I forced myself to just listen to him and follow. Juno and Mars scampered after me. Gio led the way with his jolteon. I had no idea how long this took. I just knew I was exhausted, cold, and wet. I never thought the camp would be so welcoming before in my life.

The rain started to lighten up a little when we reached the camp. Both tents were set up—the one Dodge and Pyrite were sharing, and the one I had to share with Carmine. I hated having to do this, but I couldn't just ditch Gio, not after he helped that pidgeotto.

I walked over to the boys' tent, my sneakers squishing in the soggy ground. I crouched down, and tapped on the side of the tent, on the flap that could be unzipped to be used as a exit. Light was coming from inside, so I knew they were awake. The flap unzipped, revealing Pyrite's face.

"Amber? What the hell happened to you?" he demanded, seeing how drenched I was. Dodge pushed him slightly to the side so he could see me.

"I got lost, d****t," I snapped. "Arceus, the f**king storm made it get darker faster."

"I told you that would happen," he said.

"I don't f**king care who told who what!" I yelled. "All I know is that I'm f**king _soaked_ to the bone, I'm _freezing_ my a** off, and I _just_ want to sleep!"

"Okay, okay, stop whining," Dodge sighed. "Go get help from Carmine, then."

"Yeah, well, I'm not alone," I said.

"What?"

"I found this kid in the forest," I explained. "He was helping this pidgeotto that probably got hurt from those f**king Rockets, and then it started to rain, and he helped me out. I can't just leave him out in the rain!"

Pyrite eyed me suspiciously, while Dodge sighed.

"Fine, we'll help him."

...

_Tuesday, August 17, 5018._

The next morning, I realized I slept in. Sunlight was seeping through the tent I was sharing with Carmine. I groaned, also realizing I had been sleeping in a awkward position, and now had a crick in my neck. I pushed myself up, causing Juno to roll off my chest. I glanced around blearily, noticing that my dumba** cousin was nowhere to be seen.

I took the time to get myself out of the pajamas Carmine let me borrow, seeing as my own pajamas had been drenched in my backpack since I had taken it with me. I put back on my now dry clothes, and de-tangled the mess that was my hair, before putting it back into a high ponytail. I grabbed my sneakers before heading out with Juno, not caring that I was barefoot.

"So Team Rocket really did this?" I heard Gio ask dubiously. "I... I just can't believe it!"

"Well, it's true, bro," Dodge replied. "We battled them."

"And squashed them flat," Pyrite added. "I mean, they actually had the nerve to capture Carmine."

"Yeah," my cousin said softly.

I made my way over to them. They were sitting on two fallen logs that faced each other. Carmine was fixing her hair back into her typical low pigtails, sitting next to Pyrite. Dodge and Gio were on the other log. Of course my dumda** cousin would sit next to the f**king pervert. Argh, there was no hope for that girl.

I walked over to them, Juno following me. I plopped myself down next to Dodge, forcing him and Gio to scoot over to make room for me. I dropped my sneakers onto the ground before shooting glares at Pyrite and Carmine across from us, and then leaned against Dodge.

"Why the hell didn't you wake me up?" I demanded.

"Last time we woke you up from deep sleep you tried to kill us," Pyrite deadpanned.

"Oh. Well, I don't f**king remember that."

"You don't remember a _lot_ of things, Amber," Dodge said.

I scowled, and jabbed him lightly in the ribs with my elbow. "Shut the f**k up."

Carmine sighed, finishing her pigtails. "Well... I'll be on my way, then."

Pyrite looked down at her, surprised. "Already? I thought you wanted to go to Pewter with us."

She bit her bottom lip, and I narrowed my eyes. She glanced over at me, and I scowled at her. She winced slightly, and twirled one of her pigtails.

"I don't know... I mean, I'll probably get in your way or something."

He waved her off. "Nah, you're fine, Carm! Seriously, it's more fun when there's more of us. C'mon, we don't bite." Then he noticed my glare. "Well, maybe Amber does, but still."

She laughed, her sad demeanor vanishing. "All right, if you so insist, we'll travel to Pewter together!"

It took every bit of my will not to pick up one of my shoes and chuck it at him. Ugh, that pervert, he probably just wanted to get into her pants. That made me so angry. And, well, when I was angry, I acted on impulse.

I leaned across Dodge to get closer to the boy on his other side. "Yo, Gio, why don't you travel with us too? Since _more_ of us is such more _fun_."

Dodge gave me a look that said _'What do you think you're doing?'_ and I simply ignored him.

Gio blinked at me, surprised. "Yeah, sure, if you really want me to."

"All right!" I exclaimed, pumping my fist into the air. "It's a deal!" I hopped up onto my feet. "Okay, get those a**es moving! We don't have all f**king day!" I bounded off.

"Amber, wait up! You forgot your shoes and your bag!"

...

Luckily, it didn't take long for us to get through the rest of Viridian Forest. There were barely any pokemon left, so we barely had to battle. Still, the route outside the forest was a welcoming sight. I was finally able to set down my skateboard and use it.

When we reached Pewter, it was bustling with activity. No one really paid us any attention as we made our way through. However, something stopped us right outside the Pokemon Center.

Three girls were gathered in front of the Center, forming a circle. They were all teenagers, probably around sixteen or so. The tallest girl had thick black hair pulled back into a high ponytail; it was short, so it only went halfway down her head. She had those sloppy Kimu bangs, and gold eyes. The second tallest had long, smooth light brown hair, and red eyes, but they were a softer shade of red, not as intense as Cory's or Carmine's eyes. Last but not least, the shortest girl, though she was still of average height, had black hair pulled back in a low side ponytail, and startling familiar blue eyes. They all looked familiar for some reason; it was creepy.

"Coral!" Pyrite suddenly exclaimed, his eyes wide.

The light brown haired girl turned, surprised that her name had been called. The other two girls turned to face us, and I suddenly felt awkward. Who were they and why did I feel like I knew them?

"Pyrite?" the girl said, raising her eyebrow. "Oh my Arceus."

"Who the hell is she?" I demanded, whirling to face the boy, ready to resort to violence if needed.

"Amber, chill, she's my sister!"

"YOU HAVE A SISTER?"

He facepalmed.

"Ambs, so do you," Dodge sighed.

"Yeah, Lazuli," I said, trying not to freak out.

"No, you have _another_ sister," Carmine corrected me. "Arceus, you don't remember?"

I stared at her like she was nuts. "Cory and I are the oldest, then Laz, and lastly Blaze and Bolt."

"So you blocked out that memory, too, huh?" Dodge said.

"What in Arceus's name are you talking about?" I snapped. "I have no other sister!"

"Amber, I even remember Copal," Pyrite said.

"Copal? Who the f**k is Copal?" I demanded.

"That would be me," said the black-haired, blue-eyed girl, a amused expression on her face. "You haven't changed one bit, Ambs."

Dodge, Pyrite, and Carmine all gave me _I told you so_ looks. I glared at them, and fought the urge to flip them off. I whirled to face the three girls, not liking where this was going. I did not remember having a older sister, though this chick _did_ look familiar. I examined each of the girls. Copal, my supposed sister, was dressed stylishly. She was wearing a light blue shirt that bared her shoulders, a white miniskirt, pale blue leggings, a white scarf, and blue and white sneakers. That Coral girl was wearing a peach colored dress, and white boots. The black-haired girl with gold eyes whose name we still didn't know was wearing a black tank top and jean shorts.

"Though," she added, "I remember where you were girlier. Arceus, you seriously don't remember me?"

"Hell no!" I yelled.

"Well, you can always call your parents to see if it's true," the unnamed girl said with a smirk. "I'm Arylide, by the way."

And that was what we would do.

...

"WHAT?" I screamed at the screen.

Dad sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You heard me, Amber. Copal is your older sister."

"That's impossible!"

"It's not."

"But then that means you had a freaking kid when you were teenagers!" I snapped. "Arceus, what the hell, Dad?"

"Amber, watch your mouth," he said, looking very serious. "Times were different back then, right after the War. You'll never understand. But Copal is your older sister. I don't know why you can't remember her; you were seven when she left."

I couldn't believe this. I wished I could talk to Mom, hear her side of this. Dad wasn't about to tell me anything, and I wanted to know. I just grit my teeth, and nodded stiffly. "Fine, Dad. Whatever. What about the other two, Coral and Arylide?"

"Coral is Am and Diamonda's... oldest daughter. Arylide is Grey and Fiori's eldest daughter. They were all born around the same time, and left the same time for their journeys. They're good kids; listen to them. They'll give you good advice."

Dear Arceus, what the hell were they doing back seventeen years ago? F**king f**king each other, that's what. Ugh, so gross. Could no one keep their f**king hands to themselves? Arceus, what the hell? What happened to make them do that? I mean, my parents just didn't seem like to types to get in that situation, even if they got married at eighteen. I didn't know what to f**king think anymore. Diamonda and that missing husband of hers weren't surprising, really, even though I had never met the High Commander of the Resistance. Ditto with Grey and Fiori; I remembered when their daughter Ivory came along. That baby definitely was not planned.

I was surrounded by f**king perverts!

"Okay," I sighed. "Fine. I have to go. The others are waiting."

"All right," he said. "Keep on going strong, Amber."

I nodded. "Will do, Dad. Bye."

He said goodbye, and then I hung up. I looked down at Juno, who was sitting at my feet. The pikachu gave me a reassuring smile before hopping back onto my shoulder. I left the phone booth, and headed back to the cafeteria where everyone was gathering for lunch. I was surprised to see that Corundum and Quartz had joined them, and my brother was excitedly talking to Copal, while Quartz looked thrilled to see Arylide.

So he remembered her, then. F**k.

Everyone looked up at me as I appeared at the front of the giant table we had claimed. I ignored them, focusing on the new arrivals.

"Cory, Quartz, you're traveling together?" I asked with a smirk.

Corundum narrowed his eyes at me suspiciously. "Yeah, so?"

Quartz blushed a little, and Aryl snickered. She saw where I was going, then.

"Oh nothing," I said, moving on. "So I called Dad."

"And?" Copal asked.

"...He confirmed it," I said stiffly before looking to see where I could sit, and then scowling at Pyrite. "Move over, pervert."

I forced him to move over, hating how the booth was so packed we had to squish ourselves next to each other, meaning I had to touch him. The older girls seemed to take note of my behavior towards him, especially our respective sisters. I swore to Arceus, if someone said something about it I was going to get p***ed off.

"Told you so," Copal said with smile and a wink.

I just scowled.

"You know, um, we have a older brother too," Quartz said to me.

"What?" I asked incredulously. "What the hell?"

Quartz smiled sheepishly, flushing slightly. "His name is Cadet..."

"Oi, Cade," Aryl said with a nod. "He's in Unova right now."

Just then I heard a low squeal, and the familiar form of Galena appeared in front of our table, jumping up and down excited. She looked at all of us, obviously recognizing everyone, her green eyes bright with excitement.

"Yay, I knew I'd find you!" she cheered. "Guys, there's something I want you to do."

...

"There is no way in f**king hell I'm doing this!" I exclaimed.

Dodge, Pyrite, Carmine, Cory, Quartz, and I had gathered in Galena's room in the Pokemon Center with Bronze and Opal around her laptop. She wanted us, of all things, to get blogs to record our journeys. I thought that was a f**king dumba** idea. Why the hell did I want anyone to know what I was doing?

"Come on, Ambs, it'll be fun!" Galena said. "Don't you want people to know what you're up to?"

"Not really," I said.

"I like the idea!" Bronze exclaimed. "It's awesome!"

Opal sighed. "I suppose I could do it."

"That's the spirit!" Galena cheered. "Come on, come on! If you don't get blogs... I'll... I'll mess with your love lives!" A wicked grin spread across her face.

Well, we all agreed to it after that.

* * *

><p><em>Lena Love<em>

_Posted August 17, 5018: Hey everyone! So, I finally managed to convince some friends of mine to get blogs! I thought it'd be a great way to record our adventures, you know? Anyways, you should check them out! They're awesome people! (Read More)_

_Comment: MORE LIKE YOU F***ING FORCED US, B***H! -Amber Rosso-Senri_  
><em>Comment: Come on, it's not that big of a deal. Chill, sis. -Corundum Rosso-Senri<em>  
><em>Comment: I hate you. You are so lucky you're out of Pallet. -Akane Chrise<em>  
><em>Comment: Ahahaha, this is going to be awesome! -Dodger Kaigun<em>  
><em>Comment: Dear Arceus. Why, Galena? -Pyrite Kimu<em>  
><em>Comment: I think I can survive this. -Opal Kimu<em>  
><em>Comment: Woot, this is gonna be awesome! -Aurum Kimu<em>  
><em>Comment: Heh, you kids are too good. -Cadet Kuro<em>  
><em>Comment: CADE! -Quartz Kuro<em>  
><em>Comment: Big Bro! Where are you? -Onyx Kuro<em>  
><em>Comment: Hey! :) I'm chilling with Finn, as always. We're in Unova right now. -Cadet Kuro<em>  
><em>Comment: OMG FINNY! TELL HIM I SAY HI! -Carmine Kazuo<em>  
><em>Comment: Sure, Carm! He says hi back! ^^ -Cadet Kuro<em>  
><em>Comment: YAY! You have to come to Kanto soon! -Carmine Kazuo<em>  
><em>Comment: You're all nuts. -Zircon Oak<em>  
><em>Comment: SHUT UP YOU B*****D! -Amber Rosso-Senri<em>  
><em>Comment: Whoa guys, chill. -Dodger Kaigun<em>  
><em>Comment: Aw, Zircy, you're no fun! -Galena Berlitz-Palmer<em>  
><em>Comment: Seriously, guys. Relax. There's no need to freak out. -Corundum Rosso-Senri<em>  
><em>Comment: Yeah, guys. -Pyrite Kimu<em>  
><em>Comment: SHUT UP YOU B*****D! NO ONE GIVES A D**N! -Amber Rosso-Senri<em>  
><em>Comment: Dear Arceus, you never change, do you? -Cadet Kuro<br>Comment: You just noticed that? -Zircon Oak_

* * *

><p><em>Wednesday, August 18, 5018.<em>

_(Pyrite's POV)_

I woke up early the next morning with the intention to train for the battle with the Pewter Gym Leader, Rocky. From what I knew about him, he was one of the younger Gym leaders, and was a master of the Rock type pokemon. With my current team, it would be nearly impossible to defeat him.

So I got ready as quietly as I could, as not to wake up Dodge, whom I was sharing a room with, and headed out.

The sun was still rising, so it was still slightly dark outside. That didn't bother me at all as I walked along. Once I was closer to the route I was headed for, I released Fehler and Ex. I really needed to catch a new pokemon. They were good teammates, but up against Rocky, we'd be crushed.

The route I had decided on was Route Twenty-Two, which led to the Pokemon League gate, which then led to either Johto, Victory Road, or the famous Mount Silver. I wasn't sure where I wanted to go quite yet. But once we were inside the gate, which had been totally refurbished since it was bombed eighteen years ago.

Eighteen years. It was weird thinking that the War happened less than twenty years ago. My parents had been involved it it—my father was even the High Commander. I couldn't help but wonder what it would have been like to grow up in a anti-pokemon world, living in the Resistance. How would things be different?

...Would my dad actually be alive?

I sighed heavily, stuffing my hands into my pockets. Fehler buzzed at me, and perched himself on top of my head. Ex looked up, a curious look on his face. I looked across the hall to the door that lead to Mount Silver, which was now a memorial to all those that had died in the War. I couldn't resist. I wanted to see it, at least one time in my life. No one liked talking about the War, and this might have been my only chance to find out what really happened.

"Come on, guys," I said before heading for the door.

I opened it up for them, and then stepped outside. Technically, I was now in Johto. I now faced some rather rough terrain, and the sun was nearly high enough in the sky for full daylight. It was already starting to get warm, hot even. I then proceeded to head for my destination, my pokemon scampering after me.

As I rounded a strip of trees, I was caught by surprise. Holes. There were holes in the ground. But not just any holes—shell holes. The ground was torn apart, still not repaired at all from the strife that happened here. Trees were tilted away from the edges of the pits, their roots sticking out of the ravaged earth. Water from a pond was seeping down into one of the holes, almost like a little never ending waterfall. It must have been fed by a underground spring.

It took longer to navigate the route than I anticipated; I now understood why they said you should bring a hovercar or bike with you if you visit the memorial, because only a flying machine could easily get through this place fast.

And the next thing I knew, we were at Mount Silver.

The mountain was blown in half, all right. Most of the chunks had been removed, and placed closer to the base of the massive peak. The entrance to the cave had been closed up by chunks of rock; I wondered what it looked like inside. A Pokemon Center had been set up to the far right of the mountain, though it looked closed. In front of the peak were thousands of tombstones, each with a name of a victim of the war, with everything about them, as age, occupation, date of birth and death, etc. There was also a statue in the middle, probably made of titanium or platinum, with the Resistance's symbol on it—a laurel wreath surrounded by a poke ball. Names were carved on the sides; I think they were of the leaders.

I saw right away that we weren't the only ones here.

There was a guy sitting on the statue, with a umbreon. He vaguely reminded me of a hobo, with his torn, filthy clothes. Like he had those clothes for the past, I don't know, thirteen years? He wasn't really doing anything, just talking to his pokemon. But then the umbreon looked from its trainer to me, and growled.

I couldn't help but flinch slightly; that growl was way too deep for a normal umbreon. I mean, _seriously_. The man looked up at us, with startling mismatched eyes—one was red, the other silver. His black hair was extremely sloppy, and his face was unshaven, but not quite a beard.

This guy was really creepy.

"Uh, sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt anything," I said hastily, backing up, Ex at my feet. "We'll, uh, leave right away..."

I turned around, ready to flee, when he interrupted me. "Wait, kid." I froze, and turned back around slowly. "You're here to train your pokemon?"

I tried to calm myself down, and nodded. "Yeah..."

He snorted, amused. "You think you can defeat Mount Silver's monsters with just a cyndaquil and yanma?"

I gulped. "Actually, I just came here to see the memorial..."

He stayed silent this time, his odd eyes flicking to the Resistance's symbol behind him. "Oh. Just another sightseer, then."

I answered right away this time. "No. My parents were in the War."

That caught his interest. He looked directly at me, narrowing his eyes, scrutinizing me. I fought the urge to fidget, and met his gaze directly. I didn't want to look pathetic, especially since I just said my parents were veterans.

"The War," he echoed, looking back at the statue. "Haven't heard much about it lately."

"That's because everyone wants to forget it."

He looked back at me after a moment. "Who are your parents? I was in the Resistance; I might know them."

I blinked, surprised by his statement. "Er... Diamonda and... Amethyst Kimu."

I expected him to freak out; I mean, I was the _High Commander's_ son. But he didn't seem fazed or bothered at all. Instead, he smirked—a smirk I had seen before on my face when I used to do that kind of thing, on Coral's face, and all the rest of my endless amount of cousins. It was a Kimu thing, I figured. Who _was_ this guy?

"Ah, the good ol' High Commander, eh?" he said, amused about something. "Isn't he... dead?"

I grimaced and looked down at my feet. "Yeah." Then I looked back up at him, suspiciously this time. "Who _are_ you?"

He was quiet for a moment, like he was debating something. "Carbuncle. The name's Carbuncle." Then he looked back at me. "What's your name, kid?"

"Pyrite," I said. "My name's Pyrite."

"Nice to meet you, Pyrite," he said, sliding off the statue's pedestal, standing, turning to face me all the way.

My jaw dropped; his left arm was missing from where his elbow should have been below. I did not see that coming, but after a moment I wasn't shocked; he was in a war, after all. But I couldn't help but wonder what happened to him. And why he was wandering if he was a veteran; the government—that is, the Indigo League—made sure no veteran wasn't taken care of, especially since two of the Elite Four members were veterans—Uncle Grey was a general, and Navy was a commander.

His umbreon jumped off the pedestal, landing at his feet elegantly. And I took a good look at the guy; he _was_ huge. He had to be over six feet; I was almost six foot myself, and he was several inches taller than me. It was intimidating. I had a feeling that there was more to this guy than he was telling. He wasn't just Carbuncle.

I watched him suspiciously as he and his umbreon walked by us. Ex tensed at my feet as the eeveelution eyed him. I turned back around to watch them go, but suddenly the man stopped, and took something out of his pocket, and tossed it towards me.

"Catch, kid."

I caught the object, surprised to see a poke ball in my hand. I looked inside the device, even more shocked to see a _deino_ of all things inside. They were extremely rare, and only found in the Victory Road of Unova. I didn't know what to do.

"What-" I began.

"Keep it," he said, turning slightly to look at me. "You'll need something more sturdy against Rocky. He'll serve you well. Just be careful, kid—deino are known to have vicious bites."

And with that, Carbuncle and his umbreon walked away, leaving me very much confused. I looked at the poke ball in my hand, and then down at Ex. I just stood there for a moment, trying to figure out what the hell just happened.

"He was weird," I said. "Oh well. At least we have a new team member."

"Cynda," Ex agreed with a nod, looking up at me.

I sighed, and put the poke ball away in my pack. Fehler removed himself from my head, allowing me to run a hand through my hair and fix it. My bangs flopped irritably back down into my face; one of the many Kimu curses, such as perverted cousins, sibling complexes that want to lead to incest, and just downright insanity. I blamed Uncle Gold's side of the family.

"Let's get back to the Pokemon Center, guys."

* * *

><p><strong>LONG CHAPTER, YAY.<strong>

**Ahem.**

**Meet Gio! No, he's not THE Giovanni Sakaki of the original Team Rocket. That'd be insane. But... He's very, VERY important. Hehe. I love that kid.**

**Also, meet Copal, Arylide, and Coral! And, *cough*, you now know who Cade's dad is. AHAHAHAHA. *cough* Now you're probably thinking Icey is insane, especially since when you do the math, you can probably figure out where these girls come into being. ;)**

**I'm EVIL.**

**Anyways. Yet ANOTHER new character, Carbuncle! Or is he new? WHO IS HE? I SWEAR IF YOU CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT, I'LL HIT YOU WITH A WET NOODLE. I made it SO obvious. I love dramatic irony.**

**Also, I need a new naming theme for Pyrite's pokemon. I don't like the one I chose. Ex will stay the same, but Yantaro and the deino need new names. x.x Any ideas are appreciated!**

**Anyways, this is long enough.**

****REVIEW!****


	6. 5: It's On With Onix

**Note: Edited**

* * *

><p><strong><span>EVERMORE<span>**

**~Sequel Of The Forever Trilogy~**

**Chapter 5**

**It's On With Onix**

_Wednesday, August 18, 5018._

_(Amber's POV)_

So today was the day I would finally get to challenge the Pewter Gym. Since I had to share a room with Carmine, I had to wait for her to get ready. I was all tensed and hyped up, eager to win my first Gym badge already. I had waited long enough.

Once we were all set, we headed out of the room, and down to the cafe in the Pokemon Center. When we found everyone, I was surprised to see that the triplets had caught up with us. Aurum was talking to Pyrite about something with a smirk on his face, Mica looked annoyed, and Xenon was talking excitedly with Dodge.

"Ugh, not you three!" I groaned.

"Oh my gosh! Aurum! Mica! Xenon! It's been forever!" Carmine squealed happily, clasping her hands together.

My pervert cousins were here. Great, just f**king great.

"Hi Carmine!" Xenon exclaimed, waving, grinning at her in his friendly way.

"Carm, hey! Long time no see!" Aurum said, giving her his own lopsided grin, though I swore I saw something flicker in his eyes. "You're in Kanto now?"

"Yep, I sure am!" she said, leaving me to go stand closer to them. "I'm in on the Pokedex project, too."

"That's awesome!" exclaimed Aurum. "Say, we should-"

"-travel together!" Xenon finished.

"Arceus, don't do that," said Mica. "It's creepy."

"You know-" Aurum began, smirking.

"-it's funny," Xenon finished with a snicker.

Mica rubbed his forehead, messing up his sloppy bangs. "I feel like I'm the only sane one here."

"You're not the only one," Opal said, glaring at her two brothers.

Mica flushed, and Carmine giggled. I scowled at all four of my cousins, and then forced Dodge to scoot over so I could sit down. Then I glared at Pyrite who was sitting across from me, and he actually scowled back at me. I raised my hand to flip him off, but Dodge grabbed my wrist and pinned my hand down on my thigh.

"Of course I'll travel with you!" Carmine replied, beaming at them.

"All right!" Aurum exclaimed, jumping up. "We should go now, since you haven't battled Rocky yet, right?"

She nodded. "That's right."

"We've already battled him," said Xenon. "And we all won. So now before we move on, you have to beat him!"

"Sounds great to me!" Carmine said. "Let's go, then!"

Mica and Xenon got up, and then all four of them left together. I snorted, and leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Good f**king riddance," I said.

"That's not nice to say," Quartz said softly, frowning.

"Well, I'm not f**king nice," I snapped, scowling.

She shrunk back, and Cory glared at me. I glared back, and he scowled. But I was hungry now, so I stood up and headed to go get some food. I didn't get very far without being found by someone.

"Ambs, hey!"

I froze, and turned around. It was Copal of all people, the girl who I just found out was my sister. She wasn't alone, of course. Coral, Pyrite's sister, and Arylide, Quartz's sister, were with her. She waved at me, and Aryl grinned, giving me the peace sign.

"What do you want?" I snapped when they reached me.

"You need to stay in Pewter a little bit longer," Copal told me. "Cade and Finn are coming!"

If I remembered correctly, Quartz and Aryl had said Cade was their older brother. So I had a general idea of who he was, but I had no f**king idea who the hell Finn was, though the name, I'd admit, was familiar. Maybe I would recognize him.

"Well, we still have to take on the Gym," I snapped. "So we'll still be here for a few more days."

She grinned at me, a smile I saw on my dad's face from time to time. "A'ight, sis, you _better_ stay. You have to meet them."

~ . ~ . ~

_(Dodger's POV)_

We split up again, and I headed to the Gym with Pyrite and Amber. Well, it was more like Amber was leading the way. She was super excited about challenging the Gym, and for once, I couldn't blame her. It was pretty exciting. It took us long enough to get to this point.

Pyrite was oddly silent. Usually he would talk with me, but now he was quiet. I glanced over at him as we walked, and I saw that he was deep in thought; I wondered what he was thinking about. It had to be important if he was spending so much time on it.

Suddenly, he halted. I stopped walking, and turned around to face him. Amber, however, was not pleased by this random break in the trek to the Gym. But with her, what was new? She got mad so easily it was insane.

"Hey!" she snapped. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Go on ahead, Amber," he said. "I need to talk to Dodge about something."

I frowned, and pushed my shades up onto the top of my head. This was serious if he wanted to talk to be alone. What was bothering him? Now that I thought about it, he _had_ been acting oddly the whole morning. Something was definitely up.

"Fine," she snapped, scowling at him. "I'm not gonna wait for you."

She looked over at me, and I shrugged. She scowled harder, and then headed off, taking out her skateboard and hopping on it. Juno, Jupiter, and Mars followed her as they went off. I turned to face my best guy friend, and raised a eyebrow.

"What's up?" I asked.

He took a Poke Ball off his belt, and examined it. "I went to the Mount Silver memorial this morning."

Now that caught me by surprise. "Whoa, really?"

He nodded. "Yeah. And I met this weird guy. Called himself Carbuncle. He was in the Resistance."

I frowned, starting to get where he was going. "So?"

"He gave me a _deino_, Dodge," he said, lifting up the Poke Ball so I could see. "Random strangers just don't give away pokemon like that. _Especially_ a dragon."

"So who do you propose he is, then?" I asked.

He was quiet for a moment. "My father. I think he's my dad."

"Pyrite," I sighed. "Just because he _said_ he was in the Resistance and he gave you a pokemon does not mean he's your father. Your dad's dead, Ry, just accept it already. Coral has."

His hands clenched into fists. "Dodge, think about it. There's no legit reason for the _High Commander_, the _most powerful_ trainer in the whole freaking Resistance to randomly die four years after the war. He wasn't ill or anything. He was twenty-four years old. Twenty-four-year-olds just don't die of nothing, Dodge. There's no real explanation. That's why he _has_ to be alive."

...Well, he did have a good point. Actually, he was totally right. It _did_ make no sense. But why would they lie to us? Did Mrs. Kimu not want to portray her husband as a loser who left his family? Well, that made sense.

"Then there's only one other explanation, Pyrite," I said. "He left your mom with three-year-old Coral and pregnant with you. Do you rather have him dead now?"

He grit his teeth, and scowled. "There has to be a logical reason."

"Like what?" I said. "C'mon, Ry, I hate to say it, but you know it's true."

His gold eyes flickered to stare at the ground. "I... I don't want to believe it."

"...I know," I sighed. "I don't either. I'm sorry, bro, really... We've heard so many great stories about him, and then this..."

Pyrite sighed heavily. "Come on, let's find Amber."

~ . ~ . ~

_(Amber's POV)_

It took me only a few more minutes to find the Gym. It was designed like in the history books during the twenty-first century, though not quite like the Gyms in Unova. They were kind of old fashioned, but very much familiar. I returned Jupiter and Mars to their Poke Balls before proceeding inside.

The Gym was set up like a wrestling arena. There was plenty of space for people to gather around the ring to watch. But it appeared to be empty. That was weird. Juno leaped back up onto my shoulder as I walked around, my skateboard under my arm.

"Hello?" I called out, very much confused why the Gym was f**king open and the leader wasn't there.

_"Hellooo? Anyone there?"_ Juno piped in.

I sighed, and scowled. "I swear to Arceus, if this guy wastes anymore of my f**king time-"

"Oh, sorry to keep you waiting!"

I nearly jumped out of my skin at the sound of his voice. I whirled around to face the Gym leader, ready to yell at him, but was totally caught off guard. That guy had that kind of face you just couldn't be mad at. He had to be in his early twenties, and had shaggy brown hair and brown eyes, and a friendly smile.

"You're here to challenge the Gym, right?" he asked.

I snapped out of my daze, and nodded. "Yeah! The name's Amber."

"It's nice to meet you, Amber," he said. "I'm Rocky! C'mon, this way to the arena."

I followed him around the ring, to the other side of the Gym, where there was a set of stairs. He let me go up the stairs first, and then followed behind me. It was set up just like a boxing ring, and, in a way, was kind of intimidating. But I forced myself to stay calm; if I didn't stay f**king calm I'd never win.

And I _had_ to win.

I went to the opposite side of the ring. Juno leaped off my shoulder, landing off the side. I looked down at her, and she grinned at me, and nodded. I looked back up at Rocky.

"This will be a two-on-two battle," he said. "The first person to knock out both of their opponent's pokemon wins." He took out a poke ball. "Let's go, Geodude!"

I had seen geodude a few times, and being a rock type, they would be f**king hard to beat without a water or grass type. But, luckily for us, Juno knew Iron Tail, thanks to her father knowing it. We had this battle won already!

"You may go first," said Rocky.

"All right!" I said. "Juno, use Iron Tail!"

The pikachu lunged forward with wicked speed, but that geodude was also fast. It easily rolled out of the way of Juno's steel coated tail using Defense Curl. Then it headed back toward us after Rocky gave a command, hitting Juno hard with Tackle.

"D*mmit!" I yelled. "Iron Tail again, Juno!"

The pikachu heaved herself up onto her feet, and let out a little growl, her red cheek pouches crackling with electricity. Then she leaped into the air, did a somersault, and slammed her iron coated tail right on top of the geodude's head. It was knocked out.

"Hell yeah!" I exclaimed, pumping my fist into the air. "Now that's what I'm talking about, b*tches!"

_"Yeah!"_ exclaimed Juno, grinning fiercely.

"Impressive," said Rocky, returning the fallen geodude. "But Onix's up next!"

I took several steps backs as he released the giant rock snake. It was as huge as I had heard, nearly thirty feet long, which it turned into height by rising up into the air. I stared up at the f**king thing in horror, trying to figure out how the hell I was going to defeat it. I doubted Iron Tail would work that well, and Juno's electric attacks were useless.

I grit my teeth, clenching my hands into fists. "Juno, again, Iron Tail."

She leaped toward the onix, brandishing her steely tail.

"Stop it with Slam!" Rocky commanded.

The onix turned its body, swinging its massive tails toward the much smaller pikachu. F**k! Onix hit Juno hard in the stomach, and she was sent flying with a loud, painful cry. Without a second thought, I dove to catch her. I snatched her into my arms right before I slammed onto the padded floor, sliding a couple of feet on my stomach.

"Juno," I breathed, wincing slightly. "Are you okay?"

She let out a groan, her face contorted in pain. I shifted her to one arm, and pushed myself up with the other, sitting on my knees. I took out her poke ball, and returned her. Then I stood up, and brushed off my clothes. I turned to face Rocky and his onix, and took out another poke ball.

"Go, Jupiter!" I shouted, releasing the pokemon.

The charmander appeared in a flash of light. Rocky looked surprised to see that he was shiny, which wasn't new. Jupiter glanced behind him to look at me, his eyes questioning my judgement. He, after all, was a fire type, weak to rock types like this onix. But who else was I supposed to use? Mars? All of his attacks would be useless against Onix.

"Ember, Jupiter!" I ordered.

He whipped to attention, shooting flames out of his mouth at the onix. They were meager compared to what Flamethrower would be when he learned it, but for now they were enough. The onix didn't even bother to dodge; the flames grazed over its rocky body, barely doing any damage. F**k!

"Onix, use Rock Tomb," said Rocky.

The onix let out a deafening roar, and rocks exploded from its body, hurling themselves at my charmander. I had to act fast.

"Jupiter! Dodge it!"

He managed to jump up a little into the air, but the attack was too fast, and he was hit. He was sent with the boulders onto the ground, crushed. There was no way he could have survived that. No f**king way.

"No, Jupiter!" I cried. "D*mmit!"

But then something happened.

A bright light shone between the boulders, and then it faded. Suddenly, claws appeared on the side of two rocks, and in amazement, I watched as my newly evolved golden yellow charmeleon crawled out from underneath the rocks. And boy, did he look _p*ssed_. The flame on his tail exploded with Blaze.

He snarled, baring his fangs, and Ember began to form in his jaws. Then it just exploded, shooting across the ring like Flamethrower, engulfing the onix in flames. The rock snake roared in pain, and when the attack ended, it collapsed in a heap of burned rocks.

My jaw dropped as I stared at the trembling golden fire lizard. And then I leaped forward to catch him before he collapsed. He was slightly larger than a typical charmeleon, being almost as tall as me at four feet, instead of three foot seven. Again, without thinking, I tried that thing I did in the Viridian Forest—I tried to heal him. I placed my hand on his forehead, and closed my eyes. I felt my energy drain, and when I opened my eyes back up, all his injuries were gone.

And then I passed out.

~ . ~ . ~

_(Pyrite's POV)_

The last thing I wanted to find when Dodge and I walked into the Pewter was a unconscious Amber. Luckily, she had fainted right when we finally got there; we didn't directly go to the Gym after our conversation; we got distracted by yet two old friends showing up.

Their names were Carnelian and Denver; they pretty much grew up more with Dodge than anyone else. Carnelian reminded me a lot of Amber, though she swore a lot less, and was more verbally violent than physically, just like her mom. She was twelve, but was due to turn thirteen in November. She had shorter, bright dark crimson—literally dark red—hair that was slightly spiky, and red eyes. Denver was more like male, non-shipping version of Galena; he was a troublemaker, and liked to be entertained. He was adopted by his two dads. He was a year older than me, at fourteen. He had messy brown hair, and green eyes. Contrary to what people might think, being raised by two gay men and all, he was most definitely straight.

Whenever Carne was around, Dodge acted a _lot_ different. You know how he was normally chill and relaxed? Well, whenever Carnelian was around, he got really nasty, almost to a Amber level. Those two did _not_ like each other. They were constantly fighting, and I found myself playing referee. Denver would just stand back and watch, snickering with his servine, until he decided enough was enough and told them to knock it off.

Anyways, they were with us when we got to the Gym. Right as we walked in, we saw Amber collapse from exhaustion next to Jupiter, who must have evolved into a charmeleon. We immediately ran up to the ring.

"What happened?" I demanded, getting straight to the point. Amber was the last person I wanted to see hurt.

For as long as I could remember, I had loved Amber. Of course we started out as best friends—two kids of two of the leaders of Resistance, being babysat by my mom since her mom and Uncle Grey had to step it up setting up the Indigo League themselves when my father disappeared, and her dad had his own work with the Contest Society. Sometimes Aunt Fiori would take us, but it usually was Mom, Coral, Amber, Cory, and Copal. Eventually Navy's mom brought Dodge over to play so there'd be more boys, and the three of us kind of drifted off into our own group.

Still, Amber was my best friend before Dodge—back when she was sweet and nice. She used to be kind of shy, and blushed so easily. She was a bit of a pushover, and didn't quite know how to defend or stand up for herself, so that was either my job or Dodge's, to protect her. She was _really_ girly too; pink was her favorite color and she always wore dresses. She tied her hair up in high pigtails in ribbons. She watched _My Little Ponyta_ everyday on TV. She loved to pretty herself up. It didn't take me long to develop a crush on her, but by the time we were eight, my feelings had grown much more stronger.

The year 5013, everything changed. Coral, Arylide, and Copal left on their journeys a year prior. Amber's parents decided they needed a vacation alone away from the kids, so Amber, Cory, and Lazuli were shipped off to stay with Uncle Gold and Aunt Sapph. Then something happened with my grandparents on Mom's side, and she had to go down to Twinleaf, but she didn't want to bring me, so I was sent to stay with Uncle Gold and Aunt Sapph. I had no memory of what happened that night, just that I sneaked out after bed with Amber to look for something. But the next day, I got in trouble for something I couldn't remember doing, and Amber was terrified of me. Then the terror turned to anger and hate.

She totally changed. She chopped off her hair—which was really long at the time—and tried to burn all her frilly dresses. She borrowed Opal's clothes until her parents let her get some new clothing. She started wearing t-shirts and shorts. When Opal switched from her skateboard to her scooter, she gave Amber the old skateboard, and she taught herself how to use it. She started hating on me, and has been that way ever since. I had no idea what instigated the change; I had always been nice to her, and now she was a b*tch to me.

But I couldn't get rid of my feelings, and I couldn't resist the urge to help her when she was hurt.

"I think she healed her charmeleon," said Rocky, the Gym leader. "And then she just fainted!"

"Whoa!" Carne exclaimed. "She healed her pokemon? Awesome!"

"She only recently discovered this," said Dodge. "She probably spent all her energy healing Jupiter!"

"Who's gonna carry her?" asked Denver. "Definitely not me, I'd like to keep my face intact, thank you very much."

Everyone turned to look at me. "What?"

"You're the strongest one here besides Denver," said Carne. "Who else is gonna carry her? Dodge is too much of a _weakling_."

Dodge glared at her. "I am not!"

She sneered at him. "Then _prove_ it."

Well, Dodge was probably the only guy besides her brother that could carry her and not get hurt. But that didn't mean I had to like it, now did I? After giving her another glare, he crouched down to examine her. He snorted.

"She's sleeping," he said, incredulous. "It's more like she fell asleep than she passed out."

I wondered if it had to do with her powers.

He picked her up then, heaving her over his shoulders. He then shot a glare at Carne, who stuck her tongue out at him childishly. I rolled my eyes at them. They were so childish.

"Let's go to the Pokemon Center," I said, picking up Amber's bag and returning Jupiter to his poke ball. "She can get her badge later."

...

"-and then the beartic ran away!"

After tucking Amber in her bed in the Center, we bumped into two old faces. Cadet, or Cade as he liked to be called, and Finnian, or Finn as he preferred. Cade was Aryl and Quartz's older brother. It was insane; seriously could Aunt Fiori and Uncle Grey not control themselves or something? Cade was eighteen, Aryl was almost sixteen, and Quartz was thirteen. Dear Arceus.

Finn... I couldn't tell you about him yet.

Cade was the spitting image of his father—he was tall, basically built the same way, and had brown hair styled similarly. The only difference was that his eyes were red. I guessed that made sense since his mom had pink eyes and all.

Finn was also tall, but slightly shorter than his best friend. He had crazily curly strawberry blonde hair, and friendly blue eyes. He was sixteen. He always had a acoustic guitar on him, and could play it really well. The guy had this charisma about him that just lured the girls in. He either was oblivious, gay, or simply not interested. Aurum could never quite understand it. But that was Aurum for you.

Currently, we were gathered around a table in the cafe, listening to Cade and Finn tell stories about their time in Unova. They left around the same time as Coral, Aryl, and Copal, and were pretty good friends with the girls. They completed the Indigo League—except for the Viridian Gym—and then went to Unova. The guys stayed longer than the girls.

"It was a piece of cake," Cade said, leaning back in his chair. "Nobody can beat us!"

"Aye, mate," Finn agreed with a nod. "But that beartic was quite the airhead, I'll say."

Moments later, there were loud exclamations.

"CADE! FINN!"

We were joined by my sister, cousin, and Copal. Aryl glomped Cade from behind, and Copal hugged Finn, while Coral stayed back, probably the only one of them that was ever calm. Then Aryl and Copal switched places.

"Don't stay away so long again!" Aryl said, ruffling Finn's already messy hair. "We get bored up here!"

"Yeah, it's not as fun without you guys!" said Copal; then she turned to look at us. "Where's Amber?"

"She passed out from exhaustion," I said. "She's sleeping right now."

"Aw, you kids been playing too hard?" Aryl teased.

Wait, _what_?

Denver keeled over laughing. Copal smacked Aryl upside her head. I just stared at her in horror.

"Aryl, that's not funny!" chided Copal. "You're embarrassing the poor boy! Dear Arceus, they're _thirteen_!"

My cousin snickered. "Aw, you're no fun, Copal-chan! I'm just messing with little Ry! _Did you see the look on his face_?"

Dear Arceus, now what?

Copal smacked her arm again. "It's still not funny! You shouldn't joke about that kind of thing. Stop being silly."

I hadn't realized Coral had pulled up a chair next to me. I almost jumped. She was so quiet sometimes. She gave me a apologetic smile. But then, yet again, we were interrupted.

"Cade?"

"Cade!"

We all looked up. It was that girl from before, Aqua. And she wasn't alone either. Hyacinth, the Celadon Gym leader, and Professor Chrise's little sister, whom I hadn't seen in person for years. She was twenty years old, and had long brown hair with purple tips, and purple eyes. She was wearing a purple and white kimono.

Suddenly, Coral froze, her red eyes growing wide with surprise. She pushed back her chair, and stood up, turning to face the two new arrivals.

"A-Aqua," she breathed.

What? They knew each other?

"Coral," she said, her two-toned gaze softening. "Cade. Aryl. Copal. Finn."

"What's going on?" Carne asked suspiciously.

"Aqua," Coral said, "is my... well, our now... older sister..."

I froze. No. No freaking way. She didn't just say that. She didn't just call Aqua our sister. This was so not happening.

"What," I deadpanned.

But Coral didn't respond. She stood up, walked over to the older girl, and hugged her. I just stared at them. Now that I looked at them, I could see similarities. Our faces were shaped similarly. Aqua and Coral had the same nose shape from Mom. We were all built tall and lanky, but not awkwardly so. Aqua had almond-shaped eyes like Mom's, while Coral's and mine were slightly rounder, and sharper. I could see it now. How did I not see it before?

My sisters pulled away from each other, and then turned to face us.

"Come here, Pyrite," said Aqua. "You've both... grown up so much."

I stood up, and forced myself to walk over to them. Aqua put her hand on my shoulder, and pulled me closer. Aqua and I were the same height, and Coral was only a couple inches shorter.

"You look so much like Dad," Aqua said softly, looking me over. "You even have his hair... You have the look in his eyes..."

I scowled. I did not want to be compared to him—that b*****d that left his wife pregnant and with two daughters. Who would _do_ that? Definitely not me.

"Don't compare me to him," I said darkly. "Don't you dare."

Her eyes widened with surprise.

"Oi, Ambs is awake!"

"What in the name of f**king Arceus is going on?" came the demanding voice of Amber behind me. "What the hell are you doing? Why are you touching him? How in f**king hell did I get to my room? SOMEBODY BETTER TELL ME NOW, D*MMIT."

"Bloody Arceus, she hasn't changed one bit, has she?" said Finn.

"Heh, possessive much?" Aryl said with a snicker.

"SHUT THE HELL UP!"

I pulled away from my sisters, and turned away to face everyone. Copal smacked Aryl upside her head again.

"Leave them alone, Aryl!" she snapped.

"Oi, don't get your panties in a twist, sweetheart," Aryl said, poking her in the ribs. "You're as uptight as your dad. You need to _chill_, Copal-chan! You know what you need?"

Was she seriously going to go there? Freaking Kimus. I swore I was the only sane one around here, besides Opal.

"What?" Copal asked suspiciously, raising her eyebrow.

"You need to get laid!" she declared matter-of-factly.

Cue several facepalms.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?" Amber screeched. "WHY DO YOU KIMUS ALWAYS F**KING SAY THAT?"

"I take that back," said Aryl, smirking. "_You_ need to get laid. Never met somebody so uptight in my life. Too bad you're too young; you're a cutie."

WHAT? Amber gave her a weird look after a enraged one, and everyone who didn't know her well did too. I swore she just said-

"Oh Aryl," Copal sighed. "Stop messing around. C'mon, I heard there's a ice cream stand somewhere. Let's go! You coming Finn, Cade?"

The two friends stood up from their chairs.

"Yeah, definitely!" Cade said with a grin.

"Of course," said Finn. "Cheerio, everyone!"

And they were gone, though Coral stayed with Aqua. We all looked at each other.

"What the hell just happened?" demanded Amber.

* * *

><p><strong>*coughshacks* **

**ANYWAYS. **

**This was a VERY, VERY eventful chapter.**

**Cade and Finn are just joys to my heart. I bet you're DYING to know who Finn's parents are, hehe.**

**ANYWAYS. Meet Carnelian and Denver! I bet you're dying to know who's parents they have, though Denver's are probably the most obvious. Which causes mind screw. Even if he was adopted.**

**Oh Aryl, what are we ever going to do with you... Hehehe. Man, I'm going to love this girl.**

**I need help. **

**Now you know that North-South is mainly onesided on poor Pyrite's part... Or is it?**

**So, how does a chapter with the Beta crew sound for the next chap? Or half with Beta and half with Alpha?**

**I feel like I'm missing something. **

**OH.**

**I made a blog to post news and other fun/random stuff. Since FF is a derp, I can't post the link, but it's tumblr and my name is neverfurtherforever. SO ASK QUESTIONS AWAY. Also, I'm going away for FOUR DAYS on a vacay... with no internet access other than my wonderful cell phone. So no updates until next week, sadly. On the bright side... I HAVE MY FOREVERMORE AND FAE NOTEBOOK.**

**REVEIW.**

**MAKE 'EM NICE AND LONG.**


	7. 6: Make A Move With Munna

**EVERMORE**

**~Sequel Of The Forever Trilogy~**

**Chapter 6**

**Make A Move With Munna**

_Thursday, August 19, 5018._

_(Copal's POV)_

"No, you're coming along with us whether you like it or not, cuz!"

I was facing Opal, my hands on my hips, giving her the fiercest glare I could muster. Opal's arms were crossed, and she looked irritated with me. But she sighed, and gave me a brief scowl before speaking.

"Fine."

I grinned widely, and hugged her hard, letting her go with a little push. "That's the spirit! Bronze is coming too, since Coral asked him! It's gonna be all of us—you, me, Aryl, Coral, Finn, Cade, Aqua, Cinth, and Bronze! We have to catch up, you know."

"I figured that's what this was all about," she said, following me out of the Pokemon Center.

"Mmmhmm!" I took out a poke ball, and released my first pokemon and partner—my umbreon Eon.

Eon appeared in a flash of light. He wasn't like other umbreon; he was shiny. His rings were blue, and his eyes were gold. He stretched, and then looked up at me, blinking sleepily. I reached down to scratch him behind his ear, making him growl happily.

"Eon looks well," Opal said. "Man, I wish my parents let me leave with you guys."

"Well, you were only nine," I said. "That's pretty young."

"And ten isn't?"

...She had a point there.

"Well, nothing can change that now," I said, looking back at her. "At least you're on your journey now! With Pokedexes, too. We didn't get Pokedexes."

"True," she admitted. "Hey, where are we going?"

"Gotta find Aryl! She's probably harassing Finn and Cade or something," I said.

"Oh. Does she like Finn or something? I know she's Cade's sister and all, but..."

I froze on the spot at her comment, making her almost bump into me. Finn was my cousin, the son of my aunt Cerise and uncle Shirou, Carmine's big brother. There were also twins Emery and Sable, two mischievous, music-loving little girls who were always hyper. I knew Finn the best; he attracted girls' attention but never paid any mind to it. He was too into pokemon and music.

...But what if she liked him?

...Why did it bother me?

"Hey, Copal, are you okay?" Opal asked.

I unclenched my hands when I realized I had balled them into fists. I let out a strained laugh, turning around to face her. "I'm fine, I'm fine. Aryl like Finn? Good one!"

She gave me a weird look.

"Anyways, let's go!" I exclaimed. "C'mon, Eon!"

I dashed off with him, eager to find my friends. But I didn't pay attention to where I was going, and slammed into someone, knocking them down. I fell down, too, landing right on my butt. Eon barked, and leaped to my side, nudging his nose on my thigh as I groaned in pain.

"Oh Arceus, I'm so sorry-" I began.

"Hey, watch where you're going, you little b*tch!" another girl snapped, not the one I knocked down.

I looked up, not appreciating the name calling, and my breath caught by surprise. This girl was oddly familiar, though I was pretty sure we'd never met. She was just stunning; she was so beautiful she made a straight girl like me nervous. She had long, pink hair, and bright pink eyes. She was scowling at me, her hands on her hips. She was wearing a pale pink tank top and a dark pink pleated skirt, with knee high white boots with heels that must have given her a inch in height.

I looked away from her, feeling my cheeks heat up with embarrassment, and looked over at the girl I had knocked down. She had boy short emerald green hair, and matching eyes. She was wearing a green tank top and jean shorts, with flip flops. She looked familiar too, but I couldn't place it. They both had to be around my age.

"You know, swearing really isn't necessary," Opal said, finally catching up to me.

The pink girl looked over at my cousin, and scowled. I pushed myself up, and offered my hand to the girl who I knocked down.

"Look, I'm really sorry," I said mareepishly. "Are you okay?"

She took my hand hesitantly, and I helped her onto her feet. The pink girl glared at me, and I let the green girl go.

"I'm fine," she said, her voice faint. "Really, Ruz, there's no need to be mean like that..."

"Oh, I'll be however I _want_, Midori," the pink girl, 'Ruz' snapped.

"Look," I said, getting a little frustrated. "It was a accident. I'm Copal Rosso-Senri, and this is my cousin, Opal Kimu."

They both stared at us, their eyes growing wide. The pink girl's hands clenched into fists.

"Did you... say... _Rosso-Senri_?" she asked darkly.

"Yeah," I said slowly, confused. "So what my parents were in the Resistance?"

The green girl, Midori, shot her a look, her eyes silently begging her for something. Opal moved to stand next to me, and I narrowed my eyes slightly. Seriously, what was the big deal?

"Ugh, whatever," she said, flipping her hair.

"Um, please don't mind her," said the green girl. "I'm Midori Aoao, and this is Ruzova Mazenta."

Aoao... That was familiar, but I couldn't remember from where. And I was sure I had heard Mazenta from somewhere before, too. But from where? Hmm.

"Well, it's nice to meet you!" I said, trying to get my typical friendly nature back. "What're you up to here in Pewter?"

"We're looking for our friend," Ruzova replied hotly. "Giovanni Syn-_Sakaki_. You know him?"

Wait, wasn't that that guy that was with my little sister, and her friends? He hadn't talked much, looked about fourteen or so. These girls were looking for him? Well, I couldn't help; I had no idea where the kid went to, but I assumed he either went on his own way or followed Amber, Pyrite, and Dodge.

"I met him briefly," I said. "He was with my sister and her friends. I have no idea where they are now, though. Sorry."

"Now we really need to go," said Opal.

I nodded. "Yeah, we have to meet up with some friends!"

"Well, um, thanks for your help," Midori said.

"It's nothing!" I said, waving her off before turning to my cousin. "Come on, let's go, Opal!"

...

"Oi, this food better be good!" Aryl exclaimed.

We were gathered in a small wood, a large blanket spread out on the grass, with us sitting on it around three picnic baskets. Our plan had worked, and we had managed to gather all of the older kids for a big reunion. I was so happy to be with all of them.

I sat between Aryl and Coral. Next to Aryl was Finn, then Cade, Aqua, Hyacinth, Opal, Bronze, and then Coral, completing the circle. It was cooler in the forest, which was nice. It had been getting pretty hot in the city.

"Of course it's good, Aryl," Coral said. "I got your mom to make it for us."

"...Oh, you did?"

"Yes."

"Nice, sis," Cade said with a playful smirk.

"Oh, shush!" Aryl snapped, but she wasn't angry; she never got angry.

"Did you bring Mountain Dew?" Bronze exclaimed excitedly. "Or chocolate?"

That made Opal sigh and slap her forehead.

"No, sorry, Bronze," said Coral, giving him an apologetic smile.

"Aaaaw!" he whined, proceeding to pout.

I remembered back when Bronze was... normal. He had been so sane, one of the calmest people you'd ever meet. Nevertheless, he was still a friendly little boy, interested in technology and everything. But then something happened, when I was six, and he was five. I believe he was kidnapped; I couldn't remember exactly happened, and the adults never wanted to talk about it.

Anyways, Bronze went missing one day, and was gone for a full month. Jade was freaking out, frantic, and Plato was very, very angry. I remembered Mom and Dad were really nervous during that month, never letting me out of their sight. All of the adults were like that.

One day, Bronze was brought back. I had no idea who rescued him; I just knew he was home, and my friend was back. But he was traumatized. It was terrible. He was scared of everything and had awful nightmares. He would talk about these kids he called by colors, though I doubted they were the people with the same name—Yellow, Red, Blue, Green, and Pink. Plato and Jade were really worried, and overwhelmed since Galena was two at the time.

As the years went by, a second, more dominant version of Bronze emerged—the loud, hyperactive, ADHD boy we knew today. When I thought about it, it must have been a way for him to escape the pain he felt from whatever he went through. Bronze was my friend and I didn't want him to be hurt, so I preferred his dominant self over his recessive self that rarely came out.

"Finn!" I exclaimed as we started to get our food. "You should play something for us!"

He blinked, caught by surprise. He laughed, and ran a hand through his hair. "Oh, must I?"

"Yesss," Aryl said, grinning. "You must be a pro by now."

"He is," Cade said. "Bro, just do it or the girls will never stop harassing you."

"Got that right!" Aryl said, crossing her arms, and we all laughed.

"Just do it Finn," Aqua said with a light laugh.

My cousin shook his head at us, and then pulled his guitar case closer to him. He opened it up, and took out his acoustic guitar. We all eagerly awaited for his performance, but we were interrupted.

Five teenagers around my age entered our little clearing; I recognized the two girls as Midori and Ruzova from before. I immediately got the vibe that they were a team of sorts. They all looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn't place it. The boy that led them into our area had curly, golden blonde hair that spiked up a little to the side, and shockingly familiar orange eyes. Then there was a boy with messy crimson hair and eyes of the same color. Lastly, there was a boy with dark blue hair with the familiar, sloppy Kimu bangs, and matching eyes.

I saw nothing wrong with this yet; they were probably still looking for that Gio kid.

"Hey!" I called with a friendly wave. "Are you still looking for your friend?"

"Yeah," Ruzova said, crossing her arms over her chest. "But that can wait."

...What?

Aryl turned to me and raised her eyebrow. "Where'd you meet that hot chick?"

"Aryl!" I exclaimed, feeling my face heat up. "Don't say things like that!"

She snickered at me. "Heh, you're blushing! You're so cute when you blush."

"S-Shut up!" I snapped, getting even redder. "I am not!"

"Oi, yes you are! Just look at your face!" she said, poking my cheek.

"Will you two stop flirting?" Cade asked. "These guys obviously want to talk to us."

"I _suppose_ I could," Aryl drawled, and then laughed. "Heh, what do you kids need?"

And they were just staring at us. Midori especially looked freaked. I guess they never thought a girl could like girls or something. Aryl wasn't exactly shameful about her sexuality; it was kinda hard not to see that she was bisexual.

"Your parents were in the Resistance?" the blonde boy asked.

"Yes," said Aqua. "That's right. Why?"

The boy smirked, a snarky grin that seemed to be his trademark. The redhead even snickered a bit before flashing a grin, a fang very visible in his mouth. The only family I knew that got hangteeth like that was my own, on my dad's side, the Senries.

That unnerved me.

And the blonde boy had Mom's eyes.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"The name's Zlato," he said. "Zlato Ama. And this is Altan Marun, Kaito Kaigun, and you seem to know Ruzova Mazenta and Midori Aoao."

Kaigun? Marun? The first was Dodge's last name, and the second was Carnelian's. I was confused, but Aqua and Hyacinth were on their feet immediately, faster than I ever thought they could move. The rest of us were confused.

"You're related to the admins, aren't you?" Aqua demanded, her hand moving to the poke balls on her belt. "Flax Ama, Maroon Marun, Navy Kaigun, Verdant Aoao, and Pink Mazenta."

I was frozen this time. I knew both Maroon and Navy; they were the Government's admins? Verdant, too? How? The way they were now, I couldn't see how that was possible. Now I knew why _Aoao_ and _Mazenta_ had been familiar to me.

"It's kinda obvious that we are," Altan said, still smirking.

"What do you want, then?" Aqua asked as we all stood up.

"Is it a crime to want to meet your family?" Zlato asked.

...Family? What?

"Excuse me?" Cade asked.

"You heard him," Ruzova snapped, giving the eighteen-year-old a fierce look. "Don't act like your idiot family."

"Hey, I take offense to that!" Aryl snapped, her hands clenching into fists. "Who do you think you _are_?"

"I am Ruzova Mazenta," she said. "Daughter of Pink and Grey!"

WHAT?

There were universal cries of disbelief and outrage amongst us. Basically, she was saying Aryl and Cade's dad cheated on their mom, and that was a no no. You just didn't do that.

"Shut the hell up!" Aryl yelled. "You are so not my sister, and my dad would never do something like that!"

"Are you sure about that?" she said snidely.

"Shut up," Cade growled, and for the first time in my life, I saw him angry. "That's a total lie. Who's Pink anyway? Never heard of her."

Ruzova scowled. "Why don't you call your 'mommy' and ask her?"

Cade narrowed his eyes, and pulled his pokegear out of his pocket. He punched a few buttons, and then put it to his ear. Moments later, we could hear a voice on the other end.

"Hi, Mom, it's Cade," he said. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Put it on speaker so we can hear too," Aryl said.

He did so, and then held out the pokegear as Fiori's voice sounded out from the device. _"Sure, Cade."_

"Aryl and I are curious about something... Who is Pink Mazenta?"

There was silence on the other end for a moment or too. _"Where... Where did you hear that name?"_

"Uh..." Cade grimaced, and looked to us for help.

"Does it really matter, Mom?" Aryl asked, moving closer to Cade and the pokegear.

_"...I suppose not,"_ Fiori said after a moment. _"Mazenta... was an admin working for the Government, along with Navy, Maroon, and Verdant. She's dead. She has been for years. Seventeen to be exact."_

We all looked over at Ruzova. She was lying, then. This was bad, though, real bad, that this Pink person worked for the Government. We all knew about Navy, Maroon, and Verdant, but they had redeemed themselves. But it was impossible for her to be Pink's child if she died seventeen years ago.

"Okay," said Cade. "Well, thanks Mom. That answers our question. Sorry to bother you."

_"It's nothing, Cade,"_ Fiori said. _"...Just don't ask your father. He gets... really touchy about it."_

I wondered why.

"All right," he said. "Bye, then."

_"Bye,"_ she said.

He hung up the pokegear, and stuffed it back into his pocket. He then turned to face Ruzova, a furious expression on his face. Aryl looked pissed too, and I really didn't blame her.

"How dare you," he said darkly. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

"You don't understand," said Zlato, getting defensive. "We weren't born the way you were. Our parents didn't f*ck each other."

"Then how exactly are you alive?" Aqua asked, putting a hand on her hip, raising a eyebrow.

"Johan collected our parents' DNA," Kaito said, crossing his arms. "He then was able to create us by combining the DNA and creating zygotes."

"That's impossible," Opal said, and I knew she was about to go all scientific on us. "You need both a sperm and a egg to create a zygote, smartass. DNA does not make a freaking kid. You're off your rocker."

Aryl snickered a little at the 'sperm and egg' part and I fought the urge to smack her. Dear Arceus, she would never stop with that, would she?

Zlato shrugged. "Whether you believe us or not, our DNA is proof."

"Okay, smartass," Aryl snapped, getting angry. "Who are _your_ parents, then?"

He smirked playfully, and crossed his arms. "Why, none other than Flax and Topaz."

I froze, and everyone else either gaped or gasped. For a moment, I couldn't breathe, I could barely move. I just stared at him, feeling like I had just been slapped in the face. He did look like Mom, with her orange eyes and the slightly spiky part of his hair. But I was so stunned, I couldn't believe this. It was all just so insane.

"...What?" was my brilliant response.

"I've been dying to meet my big sister," he drawled. "So, how many of us are running around?"

I just stood there, not knowing what to do, silently freaking inside. This boy was not my brother. He could not be my brother.

I felt something take my hand, and I looked to see it was Aryl, though she still looked pissed as hell. I suddenly felt a wave of relief, and I was able to remember that I wasn't alone in this insanity. I had my friends with me.

"What about the rest of you?" Finn asked, cautious and quiet.

Altan grinned. "Maroon, obviously, and Sapphira."

Oh dear Arceus.

"Navy and Fiori," Kaito said.

"Um... Verdant and Jade," said Midori.

Holy mother of Mew, this was just wrong and insane. I couldn't believe this. Nearly every one of us were affected somehow by this. Everyone was just so shocked. We had no idea what to say. This was never expected. How were we supposed to react to this?

"What... what do you want with us?" I asked finally.

"We're here to give you a warning," Zlato said. "Everything is about to change."

"How?" Aqua asked.

"Johan's up to something," Kaito said. "We have no idea what, but it's not good."

"We have no choice but to serve him," Altan growled. "We're his 'creations'. He's the only reason we're alive."

"Of course we follow his orders," Ruzova snapped. "You're not getting soft, are you?"

"Who is this Johan guy?" Aryl asked, keeping her hand firmly gripped on mine.

"It's not his real name," Zlato said. "Nobody knows his real name. But he goes by Johan Sakaki right now. We think he's connected to the Government somehow. That's why we're warning you."

"We can't say no to him," Midori said softly.

"Today we're friends," Zlato said, his eyes flickering down to the grass. "Tomorrow we're enemies."

...

_(Opal's POV)_

I had no idea what just happened.

All I knew was that I apparently had a half brother that was created via a test tube. And he was somehow connected to the old Government our parents fought to destroy. I was so confused, and I wasn't the only one. Copal hadn't said a single word since Zlato revealed they were related. Neither had Bronze. Everyone else was pretty much angry.

We all just sat back down in the clearing, trying to process what had just happened. I glanced over at Bronze, who was still oddly silent. He was staring at the grass, unmoving.

"Bronze?" I said. "Are you okay?"

He flinched, and looked up at me. His silver eyes were oddly calm, and he stayed silent before shaking his head and looking back down at the ground.

"...Which Bronze am I talking to?" I asked.

"The sane one," he said after a moment, his voice level for a change.

Oh my Arceus, the last time Bronze's alternate self had come out... was a very long time. Like, five years ago. And it was when he had a panic attack because he saw someone wearing black and red, and for some reason that made him freak out. Bronze's second self only came out when something bad happened.

Crap.

Everyone turned to look at us. They all had to remember what happened to Bronze that made him this way. They had to know why it was bad to see this version of him. But why would those kids shock him into his alternate self?

"I... I know them," he said, looking up at us, his silver eyes wide. "They were... They were there..."

"They were where, Bronze?" I asked, scooting closer to him, and putting my hand on his shoulder.

"There," he said. "In that place."

"What place, Bronze?" Aqua asked, having walked over to join us.

"The place where they took me."

We all froze. That was the last thing we expected to hear from him. My grip on his shoulder tightened with the reality of his statement. That meant that the creeps that kidnapped Bronze were connected to his Johan person, and in turn the fallen Government.

"I saw them," he continued, his hands clenching into fists. "They talked to me. There was another kid with them, too, a kid with brown hair and gray eyes."

That definitely sounded like Gio. Crap, this was bad, really bad. If Gio was involved with these people, that meant Amber, Pyrite, and Dodge could be in danger. Carnelian and Denver, too, since they were with them last time I checked.

I grabbed Bronze's hand, and pulled him to his feet. Then I turned around to face everyone. We only had so much time, since those kids, our half siblings, had left. If they got to the others before we did, who knows what would happen. Especially with Amber.

"We have to warn them," I said. "Amber, Pyrite, and Dodge! Gio's with them!"

"The friend they're looking for, right?" Copal asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. But he sounds like the other kid Bronze saw."

"That means-" Cade cut himself off, and his red eyes grew wide.

"Exactly," I said. "We have to move!"

...

_(Amber's POV)_

"Can we leave already?" I asked, scowling. "We've spent enough time here already!"

Carne and Denver were still with us, not that I minded. But I really wanted to get a move on. I hadn't seen Zircon at all, and I bet that b*****d was ahead of me by now; he might even have earned the second badge. I could not let him beat me.

"Can't we just chill for a bit?" said Dodge. "Sheesh, you're always in a rush."

"Why are you in such a hurry?" Gio asked.

"I have to beat Zircon!" I exclaimed, slamming my fist onto the table.

"Of course you do," Pyrite sighed.

I scowled harder, and glared at him. Then I leaned back in my chair and crossed my arms over my chest. "Well, _someone_ has to teach that jerk a lesson."

"Oh, Zirc?" said Carnelian. "He's not so bad. You just don't like him because he's strong."

"I like his hair," Denver noted.

"Oh, for the love of Arceus!" I exclaimed, pushing my chair back, and standing up. "You just like him because your dads know his mom from way back!"

"Well, is that a problem?" Carne asked.

"I wonder how they know each other, anyway," Denver mused.

"I don't give a d**n," I said. "I-"

"Gio!"

Gio started, and turned in his chair to look towards where the voice came from, his silver eyes growing wide with surprise. I narrowed my eyes, and turned around to see what was shocking him. It was a bunch of kids, probably fifteen or so. There was a girl with f*cking _pink_ hair—seriously, how the hell do you have f*cking pink hair?—and another girl with green hair, and three guys, one with blonde hair, one with red, and the other with blue. They all were oddly familiar, but I couldn't place it.

"Ruzova!" Gio exclaimed, surprised. "Zlato, Altan, Kaito, Midori! What're you doing here?"

"Looking for you, duh," the pink-haired girl said; she had been the one who spoken earlier, so she had to be Ruzova. "Johan doesn't appreciate you leaving when you need training."

Gio let out a strained laugh, and rubbed the back of his head, sweatdropping. "Aaaah, well, I made some new friends..."

Ruzova narrowed her eyes. "You don't need new friends. You're coming back with us."

"But I don't want to!" he exclaimed. "I like hanging with these guys."

Ruzova opened her mouth to say something, but the blonde guy interrupted her.

"C'mon, Ruz," he said. "What can it hurt? They're just kids."

"I am not just a kid!" I snapped. "What the hell's that supposed to mean, b*****d?"

"Amber," Dodge sighed.

"I'm going to be the Indigo League Champion!" I declared, glaring at them all. "You can go suck my-"

"AMBER!" Dodge and Pyrite yelled.

"What?" I growled, whirling to face them. "Nobody insults my age and gets away with it!"

"Calm down," Dodge said. "For the love of Arceus, you're making a scene."

"They're probably better trainers than us, anyway," said Pyrite. "Don't start a battle you can't win."

"Humph," snorted Ruzova. "Got that right."

The blonde boy gave her a look. "We don't mean to cause any trouble. I'm Zlato, Zlato Ama-"

"AMA? DID YOU JUST SAY AMA?" Carnelian shrieked, suddenly leaping to her feet.

Zlato started slightly, but then stood straight up. "Uh, yeah."

I was confused as hell why this was a big deal. I turned to my friend. "What's the big deal? So what he's a Ama?"

"So _what_? _So what_?" Carne snapped, her red eyes flashing. "Do you not know what this means?"

"...No," I said. "I have no f*cking idea what this means."

"She's a freaking _Rosso_ and she has no freaking idea what the big deal about Ama is!" Carne exclaimed, throwing up her hands.

"Oh crap," Dodge said, obviously catching on. "But that's impossible. Flax has been dead for ages."

"Who's Flax?" I asked.

They all stared at me like I was mad.

"Flax Ama," Dodge said. "One of the admins of the Government."

"He tried to screw with your mom," Carne said. "Then some sh*t went down with your aunt. Then he tried to rape your aunt. Then he tried to kill your uncle. Then he tried to kill-"

"OKAY, I F*CKING GET IT ALREADY!" I yelled. "How the hell do you know this sh*t?"

"My dad's Maroon, duh," Carne deadpanned. "He used to be a admin. And I managed to get the info out of him."

"My dad was a admin, too, you know," Dodge said. "But I actually got everything from my mom."

"Dad Verdant doesn't like talking about it," Denver added.

This was f*cking insane. I could not believe this sh*t. Who the hell were these people? How the hell did they know Gio? How the hell did they _even_ exist?

"Okay," I said, whipping back around to face them. "Someone better give me some f*cking answers, and somebody better give them now before I kick some major a**. _Got it_?"

"Okay, okay, jeez, chill," the blue-haired boy who had _floppy Kimu bangs_ said. "Don't get your panties in a twist. Arceus."

"EXCUSE ME?" I shrieked.

"Kaito, just shut up," the redhead sighed. "I know you're a Kimu and all, but seriously, can you hold it back?"

"KIMU?" Pyrite demanded, standing up, moving to stand beside me. "What are you talking about?"

Zlato pinched the bridge of his nose. "I would kindly explain if my colleagues would _shut up_ for one second and not say things that p*ss people off."

"Sorry, bro," Kaito said. "It's a bad habit."

"Ohhh," the green-haired girl sighed.

"As I was trying to explain," Zlato continued. "It's not what you think. We're-"

"Test tube babies," Ruzova spat, scowling, and crossing her arms over her chest.

...Huh?

"Yes," Zlato said, shooting her a look. "We're not quite sure why, but Johan—our master and Gio's father—had us created from the Government's old admins' DNA... and DNA of some of the leaders of the Resistance."

"WHAT?" I exclaimed.

"We don't know how he did it," Kaito put in. "But he did. Oh, I'm Navy and Fiori's son, by the way."

"WHAT?" Dodge yelled, his eyes wide with horror.

"Ooooh, you must be my lil' bro, then," Kaito said with a smirk. "Nice to meet you, Dodge."

Dodge was stunned silent, his mouth open and his eyes wide. Dodge was never speechless. He always had something to say. But this time, he was so shocked he had no idea what to do. And I didn't f*cking blame him.

"And makes you my cousin," Pyrite said, frowning.

"Let me guess," Carne said, pointing to the redhead. "You're Maroon's son."

The redhead smirked playfully, bearing fangs like my own. "How'd ya ever know? Yup, I'm Maroon and Sapphira's son."

"WHAT?" I yelled. "You're my f*cking cousin! Agh, this is crazy!"

"I knew you were a Rosso," said Ruzova, narrowing her eyes. "You have the look."

"Oh, so there's a look?" I sneered. "Who's f*cking kid are _you_?"

She glared at me, and I fought the urge to roll my eyes at her. "Pink and Grey's."

After everything we just f*cking found out, I wasn't surprised at all. None of us here were directly related to this b*tch, then. Good f*cking riddance, she was p*ssing me off.

"What about you?" Denver asked the green-haired girl.

She flinched, and blushed a little. "Oh... I'm Midori... Verdant and Jade's daughter..."

"Whoop dee f*cking doo," I said. "Now f*ck off before you really p*ss me off. Freaks."

They didn't seem to appreciate my name calling, but nobody really did anything, except for the one person who was _really_ getting on my nerves.

"Not without Gio," Ruzova said, giving me a dark look.

"I said-" Gio began.

"I don't care what you said!" she snapped. "You need to come home! Johan wants you back!"

"Are you sure it's Johan, Ruz?" Kaito said tauntingly. "You're getting awfully fired up about this."

"Shut up!" she snapped. "It's not my fault all Rossos are b*tching whores."

"WHAT?" I screeched.

"Hey!" Carne snapped. "That's _my_ family you're talking about, too, b*tch! My mom's descended from Red and Yellow!"

"That explains so much then," Ruzova said snidely.

I was absolutely furious now. Nobody talked sh*t about my family like that. _Nobody_. I didn't know who the hell she thought she was, coming up here and demanding Gio come back with her and her fellow freaks when he was perfectly fine with us. And my friends didn't appreciate the name-calling either.

"Shut. The. F*ck. Up," I growled. "I haven't done a single d**n thing to you! Why the hell are you picking a fight with me? And _I'm_ the whore? I don't have my tits half hanging out of my shirt!"

"Oooh, that's a burn," Kaito said, and Altan smacked him upside his head.

"Shut up! You wanna go? Then fine!" Ruzova exclaimed, and took a poke ball off her hidden belt, backing away from our gathering. "Go, Clefairy!"

A clefairy appeared in a flash of light, and everyone backed out of the way. I took a step forward, eager to teach this b*tch a lesson, but someone grabbed my arm, and pulled me back.

"Amber, you can't do this!" Pyrite exclaimed.

"Hell yeah I can," I snapped. "What do you want me to do? Let her f*cking get away with her b*tching? I don't think so!"

He looked down at me, and for the first time I saw the frustration in his eyes turn to anger. He let me go, and his next words were like a slap in the face.

"Like you're any different."

I just stared at him, shocked that he'd even compare me to that b*tch. That was insulting! I was nothing like her! How dare he even say that! Who the hell did he think he was? B*****d! I scowled, glaring at him, and then stormed away. I stopped when there was enough space between Ruzova and me to have a battle. Her clefairy even looked b*tchy. I took a poke ball off my belt.

"Mars, let's do this!" I exclaimed, releasing the pokemon.

The ratatta appeared in a flash of light. The purple mouse stood tall, baring his fangs at the clefairy. Our opponents looked shocked. What now?

"A ratatta?" she laughed. "You have a _ratatta_? How lame!"

I scowled harder, my hands clenching into fists. "Ratatta aren't lame! I'm going to train my favorite pokemon, whether they're considered the strongest or not!"

"Humph. You'll just be easy to beat," she said. "Clefairy, use Wake-Up Slap!"

"Dodge it!" I commanded, and the ratatta leaped out of the way with ease. "Now Quick Attack!"

The purple mouse leaped forward with wicked speed, and slammed into the clefairy before Ruzova could even breathe. The clefairy was knocked back several feet, but quickly got back up. Okay, so this wasn't going to be as easy as I had thought.

"Clefairy, use Strength!" she ordered.

Whoa, I so did not f*cking see that one coming.

Mars leaped back, trying to get away from the clefairy. But that thing could be fast when it wanted to, and managed to catch up, slamming its hands into the ratatta's side. Mars cried out in pain and hit the dirt, sliding back a couple feet.

"Mars!" I exclaimed. "Hang on! Try and use Hyper Fang!"

As he started to get up, Ruzova ordered, "Don't give it a chance. Use Wake-Up Slap again!"

Agh, d*mmit! The clefairy lunged towards Mars, and suddenly his body began to shudder. His whole form shook violently, and then he began to glow. I gasped in awe as he evolved right before my eyes, turning into a much stronger raticate. The clefairy was caught by surprise, and hesitated with its attack. And that gave Mars a chance.

The raticate pushed himself up into the air, leaping above the clefairy. He then pointed his body at the clefairy, and fell towards it. He opened his jaws, and his massive fangs began to glow, extending longer than they normally were. The clefairy cried out in pain as Mars sunk his fangs into its back, knocking it down face first.

Mars leaped off the fallen pokemon, and I took out my Pokedex to check his energy level. Though he had evolved, giving him more energy, he was still pretty low. So I decided to return him, as Ruzova returned her knocked out clefairy.

"Now who was going to be easy to beat?" I taunted, smirking.

She scowled, and gave me a fierce glare. I just kept on smirking. She reached for another poke ball, and I did the same. This time, I chose Jupiter.

"Go! Jigglypuff!"

"Jupiter, you're up!"

Again, Ruzova looked shocked at what I sent out. Well, Jupiter _was_ shiny. And pretty big for a charmeleon. This would be his first full battle as a charmeleon, and I was very confident that we had this in the bag. My starter was no pushover.

"Jigglypuff, use Rollout!" Ruzova ordered.

"Dodge it!" I shouted.

Jupiter pushed himself up into the air with his arms as the jigglypuff barreled towards him like a ball. He went up a little higher from all the force he used to propel himself.

"Now, Ember!" I commanded.

Flames shot out off his mouth, slicking over the jigglypuff. The pain made its ball wobble, and it was ripped out of its form, ending up somersaulting over the dirt rather painfully. It landed in a heap as Jupiter landed on the ground, and it started to push itself up.

"Jigglypuff, use Round!" Ruzova said.

The pink pokemon whipped around, and sung a note, sending a wave of sound at my charmeleon. It happened so fast, I had no chance for any kind of order. Jupiter was hit, and slid back a couple of feet, but didn't look too damaged. It was time to use to f*cking big guns.

"Jupiter! Dragon Pulse!" I commanded.

Energy formed in the yellow fire lizard's mouth, and then pulsed across the area to hit the jiggylypuff hard. This time, it was sent flying. It p*ssed me off to see that Ruzova didn't try to catch it; I would have, if it was my pokemon. Did she even care about her pokemon?

She returned her jigglypuff to its poke ball, and Jupiter moved back to stand in front of me. I crossed my arms over my chest, and awaited what she was going to do next. I assumed she had another pokemon, but you never know.

"You think you've won?" she asked, smirking. "I don't think so. Munna, let's finish this!"

A munna. She had a f*cking _munna_ of all pokemon.

"Jupiter, you're staying in," I said.

He looked up at me, and nodded. Then he moved in closer to the hovering munna. It was hard to take such a cute pokemon seriously, but I knew better than not to. If this was her final pokemon to battle with, it had to be tough.

"Munna, use Psychic!" she commanded.

Exactly.

The munna used a nicer form of Psychic; you could do some really nasty things with that move. It just sent a wave of psychic energy towards Jupiter. It hit him hard, knocking him flat on his back. And to much of my horror, he was knocked out in _one f*cking hit_.

I was so stunned, for a moment I could barely breathe. I couldn't believe that just f*cking happened.

I snapped out of my daze, and returned Jupiter to his poke ball. I thanked him for his hard work. Then I took out _my_ strongest pokemon's poke ball, and sent her out.

"Go, Juno!" I exclaimed, throwing the device.

The pikachu appeared in a flash of light. She let out a battle cry, her cheek pouches crackling with electricity, and landed gracefully on the ground. Ruzova and her munna didn't looked fazed at all. We had some hard work to do. But I believed we could f*cking do it.

"Humph," Ruzova said. "Munna, use Hypnosis!"

"Close your eyes, Juno!" I ordered.

The pikachu did so, and in turn, the Hypnosis had no effect on her. I grinned, starting to feel better in this battle. There was no f*cking way I could lose to this b*tch.

"Now! Volt Tackle!" I commanded.

Now the b*tch was surprised again! Ha!

A fanged smirk appeared on Juno's mouth as her whole body sparked, and was enveloped with electricity. Then, with wicked speed that rivaled Mars, she bolted towards the munna, leaping into the air, leaving a streak of voltage as she went. She slammed into the munna, knocking it down to the ground.

"Finish it with Iron Tail!" I ordered.

Juno leaped into the air, brandishing her tail coated with steel, did a somersault, and then slammed her steel-coated tail on the munna's back. Right as she leaped off the fallen pokemon, someone's shout caught my attention.

"Amber! Are you-"

"Butt out, Copal!" I yelled, glaring at my older sister and she and her crazy friends, along with Opal and Bronze, joined our little gathering. "I just kicked this b*tch's a**, I think I can handle myself."

She gave me a irritated look as the b*tch's friends parted ways to make room for them. "That's not what I'm here to tell you!"

"If you wanna tell me these crazy b*****ds are related to us, I already know that bullsh*t," I said.

"No-" she began again.

"I don't give a d*mn!" I snapped. "B*tch, Ruzova, give me my prize money. _Gio_ and my friends need to get moving. You've wasted _enough_ of our f*cking time."

Ruzova gave me a death glare as I marched up to her, Juno leaping up on my shoulder as I passed her. I held out my hand, and with yet another glower, she forked over some money.

"If you hurt him-" she began.

"What the hell?" I exclaimed. "Hurt who? Gio? How the _hell_ could _I_ hurt _him_? Are you on crack or something?"

She looked like she wanted to punch me so f*cking bad.

I pulled my wallet out of my back pocket, and put my money away. I turned back around to face my friends. I grinned at them. I bounded back over to the picnic table we had been chilling at, and grabbed my bag. I put my wallet back in it since we would be traveling. I grabbed my skateboard, and hopped on.

"Amber-" Copal tried to continue again.

"Save it, Copal!" I exclaimed. "Cerulean City calls! C'mon, guys!"

I pushed forward on my skateboard, and headed for the Pokemon Center. I heard my friends yelling at me to slow down, but I ignored them. They could catch up with me at the Center. Right now, I really wanted to get a move on to Cerulean.

But on the back of my mind, I wondered what the real deal was with those kids.

* * *

><p><strong>THIS WAS JUST BEAUTIFUL.<strong>

**Okay, for anyone who doesn't check out my blog, I need to mention Summershipping. It's the ship of Aryl and Copal, and yes, it is canon. Some people don't like that kind of thing, but whatever. It's a really cute ship, I have soooo many plans for it, hehe.**

**ANYWAYS, MOVING ONTO THE OLDER KIDS.**

**Bronze was kidnapped as a child, which led to him having split personality disorder. Finn is indeed Shirou and Cerise's son. And you know what that means for Forevermore. *coughs***

**Carnelian is the daughter of Maroon and Scarlet, which causes some mind screw, and you'll have to wait a little longer to find out who Dodge's mom is.**

**MOVING ONTO THE ADMINS.**

**Johan Sakaki, Gio's father, is somehow connected to the Government. Thanks to that connection, he was able to get some DNA and created his own admins for whatever he's up to. He decided to be ironic and used the Government's admins' DNA and the kidnapped kids' DNA. Also, _Johan Sakaki_ isn't his real name. Sakaki isn't Gio's last name either. I gave a hint to what it really is earlier in the chapter. BUT MYSTERY IS GOOD.**

**Let's see... Oh yes, Amber and Ruzova won't be on the best of terms, quite like how Topaz and Pink were. But I don't want you to hate her. These admins have been through more hell than their parents.**

**ENOUGH RAMBLING.**

**GO AND REVIEW.**


	8. 7: Undermining Umbreon

**EVERMORE**

**~Sequel Of The Forever Trilogy~**

**Chapter 7**

**Undermining Umbreon**

_Saturday, August 28, 2051._

_(Cadmium's POV)_

I had plans for today.

It'd been a while since I had last been in Pallet. So, I had some catching up to do. I didn't mind at all. I loved exploring and talking to people. Everyone here in town knew who I was. Some people liked to give me and my siblings free things.

I checked myself in the mirror, making sure I looked fine. I was wearing a red t-shirt, black shorts, and my favorite pair of red and white sneakers. I had on my baseball cap that looked like an ultra ball on backwards, with my red goggles resting on top of it. Both were gifts from my dad. My golden bangs were flopping annoyingly in front of my face, but I could do nothing about it. I adjusted my cap one more time.

"How do I look, Thor?" I asked, looking down at the pikachu at my feet. He was also my first pokemon.

_"Great,"_ he said, but I could tell by his tone he wasn't really paying attention. _"Can we go now?"_

"Yeah, yeah," I said, reaching to grab my pack off my bed. "Don't get your panties into a twist."

_"I'm a pokemon. I don't have-"_

"It's a figure of speech! Jeez!"

I slung my backpack over my head, adjusting the single strap across my chest, the pack resting on my back. Thor leaped onto my shoulder, and then onto the top of my head. I left my room, and headed for the stairs, went down them, and then made my way towards the front door.

"I'm going out, Mom!" I announced before opening the door.

"Okay, Cad!" she called back.

I went through the door, and shut it behind me. I took a deep breath of the fresh air. Everywhere else the air was polluted thanks to the technology, but here it was pure like it should be. Though I couldn't help but wonder how long it'd last.

I reached down to pick my skateboard up from the porch. I walked down the stairs, and set it down on the ground, stepping up on it.

"Well, Thor," I said, "let's go!"

His grip tightened on my hat, and then I set off. I loved skateboarding, but I couldn't do amazing tricks or anything. That was fine with me. My talent rested with pokemon, and well, other things. I was smarter than I looked; I just didn't use my intelligence all the time. Also, it didn't help that I was lazy. I mean, I usually could do things... I just didn't want to. People automatically assume I'm stupid, but I'm not.

I pulled up in front of the music shop. It wasn't a chain, but a family run business. That's where my parents first got their instruments to form their band Judgement. In my family, Vanilla was the musical prodigy—but all of us could do something musical. I could play the drums. Maize could sing, but she got embarrassed easily and thought she sucked so she only ever sang in front of pokemon, which made them gather; I'd joke and call her Snow White because of that, which would get her all flustered and mad at me. Beige was learning how to play guitar, and Buff was taking violin lessons. My older sister Xanthe was a genius at guitar. We could form our own freaking band someday if we wanted.

I left my board outside; no one in Pallet would dare steal it. The shop was cool inside, a total contrast to the blazing heat outside. The shop was a little on the small side, but had all sorts of amazing stuff. There was even a wall dedicated to Judgement merchandise since Pallet was known as where Judgement was born.

"Mr. Morgan?" I called to the shopkeeper. "You here? It's me, Cad!"

No response.

I frowned, and ventured forth deeper into the store. The shop was totally empty. No one was here; it was just me and Thor. There was something wrong; I could feel it in my bones. Mr. Morgan never left his shop unattended. He would either get someone to cover it for him or lock up temporarily. I noticed the back door was slightly ajar.

"Should we?" I asked Thor, looking upwards towards him as best I could. "He could be hurt or somethin'."

I felt him nod. _"Yeah, we should."_

I nodded, too, and headed towards the door. I grabbed the door knob, and slowly began to push it open. I creaked loudly, making me jump in surprised. I peered inside.

"Hello?" I called. "Mr. Morgan?"

It was a small, vacant hallway. There was a door on the right wall that said _Lavatory_ and then another door all the way down to the very end of the hall. I heard a noise coming from behind that door. I slowly walked down the hallway to the door. I slowly pressed my ear up against the cool wood.

"Now Morgan, tell me what you know about Judgement," a deep, masculine voice was saying.

"I-I've told you everything I know! I-I don't know their true identities!" Yeah, that was Mr. Morgan.

I heard what sounded like a smack across the face. "You're lying. Now you have one more chance to tell me the truth. Then we'll start by removing fingers."

My stomach gave a squeeze after that comment. What kind of sicko would torture someone like that? And why about some band? Yeah, it was my parents' band, but still.

"...May I ask one question?"

"...Go ahead."

"Why do you want to know the true identities of Judgement so badly?"

There was silence for a moment.

"My boss's father was the leader of the Syndicate, which was brought down by the damned members of Judgement—particularly Romeo and Juliet. They had some help too, but those kids disappeared. The Syndicate is rising again... and we want revenge."

What? My parents stopped this Syndicate thing? I never knew that. I had never heard anything of this Syndicate. What else had my parents kept from me? What else were they hiding? Like these other kids that disappeared?

"Our goal is different from before. We seek to head into the future to create an empire. No one will be prepared to battle our creations."

What? That was crazy! Why did everyone always want to take over the world? Seriously? Could there be something else they wanted for a change? And you know, bad guys really talk too much.

Suddenly, the door was yanked open, and I felt forward, landing on my hands and knees. Thor barely hung onto my head. I looked up to see one of four men in black glaring down at me. Oh crap.

I let out a strained laugh, and stood up, brushing myself off. "Oh, hey Mr. Morgan! I was looking for you! What're you doing all the way back here? And tied up, too. Are these guys old buddies of yours or something? I didn't mean to interrupt anything. Well, I'll just be going now."

I turned around, ready to make a beeline out of there. But the man grabbed me by the back of my collar, stopping me dead in my tracks. Major crap.

"Hold it, kid," he said, not the guy with the rough voice who had been talking. "I know you were eavesdropping."

"W-What're you talking about?" I asked, trying to act as innocent as I could.

"How much did you hear, boy?"

I froze in place. That was not a man's voice.

"Turn him around so I can see him."

The man yanked me around roughly. A woman stepped out of the shadowy corner. Her looks matched her voice. She had long, silvery-blue hair, and piercing eyes that matched. She was wearing the outfit she had wore when she first joined the Johto Elite Four years ago. She had to be in her late teens or early twenties, which was impossible for today's date. By her side was her loyal umbreon. I couldn't believe this.

"Karen," I said, trying to act shocked. "What're you doing here? You know Mr. Morgan too? But wait, you shouldn't be this young and hot!"

...Wait, I didn't mean to say that last part! Darn it, curse my Kimu blood.

She whipped back her head and laughed. "That is because I'm not from this... dimension, you could say."

...What?

"Anyways. Don't play dumb with me, boy. You overheard the conversation."

She walked closer, her heels clacking on the floor. She stopped right in front of me, and looked down at me, her eyes scrutinizing. Since I knew my cover was blown, I glared up at her. It was also so I wouldn't get the urge to look... somewhere else that was close to my face.

"Do you know who this boy is?" she asked the men. "No, you don't."

Where was she going with this?

"Cadmium Kimu," she said, her voice like ice. "Eldest son of Gold Kimu Jr. and Topaz Rosso Kimu. Grandson of the Pokedex holders Gold, Crystal, Red, and Yellow."

The men looked startled. The guy who was holding me loosened his grip on my collar.

"The Masked Man should have chosen these children, not their parents."

What in the name of Arceus was she talking about?

She turned around to face the men. "You say you want to rule the future. Have you not noticed the changes already? We can monitor time via the time machine my master has created. There were three parallel worlds—we dubbed them Beta, this world, Delta, my world, the direct mirror of your world, and Iota, the parallel of both Beta and Delta." She paused. "Obsidian Synis—my master, whom I have called the Masked Man—came from far in the future, during a time he calls Gamma. He wanted to make the world a better place, so he decided to kidnap the children of the Pokedex holders to train them for his cause. That is why I agreed to help him."

What the-

"This caused the Beta Line to split into two," she continued, walking as she talked. "This world, the original Beta Line, remained unchanged, while the tampered line, dubbed Alpha, began its crash course to destruction. However, it has a delayed time ripple effect, meaning things in the future have remained the same and have not changed to fit the new past. But now the Alpha Line has begun to collapse. And it's acting like a black hole, sucking in the Beta, Delta, and the Iota Lines. Already, the Beta Line has begun to combine with Alpha."

I just stared at her. It suddenly made sense. That freaky blog post had to be from the Alpha Line. But this Synis guy—why did he have to do all of this and mess up time? I mean, you could try to make the world a better place in different ways.

"Let me guess," I said, and she turned around to face me. "The world's gonna end and we're all gonna die?"

"Something like that."

"And you're just gonna let that happen?" I yelled, furious. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

The man shook me a little, as a warning. The umbreon growled at me, baring its fangs. I had to get out of here. It was time to retaliate. I had to tell the others about this. I made a subtle hand signal to Thor. I heard a crackle, and he let out a cry, and a Thunderbolt blasted towards Karen. She ducked out of the way, and the man released me, startled.

I dropped to the ground, and pushed the man out of the way, making a break for it. Thor clung to my hat for dear life as I ran. I burst out of the shop, hopped on my skateboard, and got out of there. I heard shouts behind me; they would pursue us, all right.

As soon as I heard a car engine come to life, I knew I was screwed.

I swerved my skateboard, bringing it to a halt. "Screw this," I said to my pikachu. "I'm not running like some coward." I took out a poke ball. "We're gonna settle this the old fashioned way—pokemon battle style." I threw the device into the air. "Go! Vulcan!"

With a furious roar, my typhlosion appeared in a flash of light. Flames exploded from his shoulders as he bared his fangs, rising up onto his hind legs, shifting into his battle stance. Vulcan was my starter I got from Professor Blue. He was one of my strongest battlers.

The jeep swerved to a halt several yards away from us. The doors opened, and Karen and the men got out. Vulcan growled, as did Thor. I kept one foot on my skateboard, just in case.

"You think you can defeat me, Cadmium?" Karen asked, amused. "A member of the Elite Four?"

"A traitor," I spat, disgusted. "I have all the Kanto badges, lady. I know what I'm doing."

She laughed. "Just as cocky as your grandfather. You'll be easy to defeat."

"Ma'am, we can-" one of the men began.

"No!" she snapped, and they all flinched. "I will handle the boy. He is a descendent of Pokedex holders. They are too strong for you." She took out a poke ball. "Go, Umbreon!"

Of course she chose that thing. It hissed at Vulcan, who snarled and bared his fangs right back at it. His fire seemed to glow brighter. I would say I hated umbreon but I had one, and I loved him.

"All right, boy," she said, looking down at me. "Prove to me you're worthy of those badges and your lineage."

"With pleasure," I said. "Vulcan, use Flamethrower!"

Flames formed in the typhlosion's gaping jaws, and then shot towards the umbreon. But the eeveelution was quick, and nimbly leaped out of the way, landing gracefully on the ground. I forced myself to stay calm. If I got worked up, I would lose.

"Dark Pulse," Karen commanded, calm as ever.

Shadowy energy burst from the umbreon, pulsing out from around its whole body. Vulcan wasn't fast enough to evade the attack. He got hit across his chest, and was knocked down on his back, his flames going on. But I wasn't worried. Unless Karen had a water type up her sleeve, Vulcan wasn't about to go down easily. He never ever gave up.

The typhlosion was back on is feet without a moment to spare. He was angry now; I could feel it. The flames returned, burning even brighter with his rage. He snarled, baring his fangs once again.

"Vulcan! Flame Charge!" I commanded.

The flames on his shoulders exploded, covering his whole body as he lunged forward towards the umbreon. Vulcan was too fast for it now, so it didn't have time to get out of the way and avoid him. The typhlosion slammed into the umbreon, who cried out in pain. It was sent flying, and then hit the ground, sliding a few feet. But it got right back up, though it looked a little shaky.

"Rusty, are we?" I taunted, smirking.

She scowled. "That's nothing. Umbreon, Shadow Ball."

With a growl, the umbreon formed a shadowy mass of energy. Vulcan didn't budge, instead, bracing himself for the attack by crossing his arms over his chest, forming an X. The umbreon launched it, hurling the Shadow Ball at the typhlosion. It hit Vulcan's shielded chest, barely doing any damage.

"Vulcan, use Inferno!" I ordered.

Smirking, he got down on all fours. His flames exploded into an inferno of fire, leaping towards the umbreon. The dark type was surrounded by fire, and it howled in pain. Vulcan stood back up on his hind legs, still smirking. The flames finally died out, leaving a shaking, burned umbreon. Its ability Synchronize wouldn't give Vulcan a burn because was a fire type.

"Are you still sure about that?" I asked tauntingly.

"Silence!" she demanded, holding out her hand. "This is far from over, Cadmium."

And she was right.

...

_(Xanthe's POV)_

It was a good to be back in Pallet.

The grass was green, the sun was shining, and I was with my best friends—and cousins.

The name's Xanthe Kimu. I'm seventeen years old. I'm the oldest kid and daughter of Gold Kimu Jr. and Topaz Kimu. I had been traveling all across the world since I was ten, with my cousins. Pembe was a year older than me, and was my uncle Am and aunt Cerise's daughter; she also had a twin brother, Ridley. Then there was Astra, my aunt Fiori and uncle Navy's daughter; she was a year younger than me.

"Ridley won't answer his stupid pokegear," Pembe sighed. "He was supposed to meet up with us. I hope he's okay."

Pembe Kimu was a pretty girl. She had wavy strawberry blonde hair that went down to her shoulders, and friendly, twinkling red eyes, with freckles. Today she was wearing a red shirt, and white short shorts. She was quite athletic, loving to play sports. But she was also into art; she loved drawing and painting. She never went anywhere without her sketchbook.

Astra Kaigun was pretty too, but not in the way that caught your attention. She was very prim and proper, always keeping her dark blue hair neat and in place. Her eyes were a lighter shade of blue. Today she was wearing a light blue sundress of modest length. She was a but on the shy side, being soft-spoken and quiet. She was a genius, and could probably go to college now if she wanted to. She wasn't that interested in guys or even girls for that matter. She much rather sit down and read. I think she really only tolerated our escapades.

Oh, me? Well, I had golden blonde hair and gold eyes. My hair was boy short in the back, with bangs that went a little past my chin. I had luckily gotten the Rosso bangs, though they kinda gathered a bit like the Kimus'. I sometimes clipped them back, but today wasn't such a day. I had my black electric guitar in its case, strapped onto my back.

"Don't worry about Riddles," I said, waving her off. "He's probably just meeting with his secret girlfriend or something."

Pembe gave me a dry look. "Suuure. Tepig will fly the day before Ridley gets himself a girlfriend."

"I saw one yesterday!" I exclaimed with a playful smirk.

She rolled her eyes at me. "Oh shush. I'm going to try again."

"Um... Guys..." Astra spoke up. "Look over there."

I followed to where she was pointing. Holy crap, that looked like my little bro's typhlosion! And it was duking it out with a umbreon. There was a jeep parked several yards away from where the battle was taking place, and men in black were standing in front of it. And then there was this lady...

"That's Karen!" Pembe exclaimed, pointing to the girl. "But she's really young!"

"Yeah, well, Karen or not, that doesn't look like it's a battle for fun," I said. "And _nobody_ messes with my family."

I took a poke ball off my belt, already knowing who I would use to stop this. I walked towards the battle, ignoring my cousins shouting at me that this was a bad idea.

"Hey!" I yelled, and both pokemon froze, as did their trainers. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Xanthe!" my little brother exclaimed, startled to see me. "What are you-"

I held up my hand, silencing him. "You, young version of Karen, what are you doing to my little bro?"

The woman turned to look at me, narrowing her eyes at me. I didn't budge; I narrowed my eyes right back at her. It took a lot to scare me, and, well, this chick wasn't exactly terrifying in the first place.

"He knows too much," she said before returning her attention to my brother and his typhlosion. "Umbreon, Dark Pulse!"

Not if I had something to say about it. I threw my poke ball, yelling, "Go, Toph!"

My mamoswine appeared in a flash of light, taking the attack that the umbreon launched, shielding Vulcan. Then she turned to face the eeveelution, growling. Karen's eyes grew wide with shock, and even the umbreon looked startled.

"Blizzard!" I commanded, pointing to the umbreon.

The temperature dropped around the mamoswine as ice and snow formed in front of her, before it flung like a wave at the umbreon. It was inescapable, slamming into the pokemon. When the attack ended, it was frozen over.

I smirked. "So what was that about my little bro?"

Karen scowled, glaring at me. "You'll get away with this only this time."

"That's what they all say," I said, waving her off. "Just beat it, lady."

She returned her umbreon, and then stalked over to the jeep. The men hastily climbed inside, and one held the door open for her. As they drove away, my mamoswine walked over to me. I patted her affectionately on one of her tusks.

"Good job, Toph," I told her. "As always."

"Xanthe!" I turned to see my little bro walking up to us. He had returned his tired typhlosion, and his pikachu was perched on top of his head. "Um, thanks for saving me."

"It was nothing!" I said, waving him off.

"Cad!" Pembe exclaimed before glomping him in a hug.

"Ah! Hi Pembe," he said awkwardly since he was really short compared to her and she was squeezing him.

I laughed heartily. "Say, it's almost noon. How about we go home and get some food?"

"Oooh, yeah!" Pembe agreed, finally releasing my little bro, her red eyes brightening up with excitement. "I'm starving!"

"You always are," Astra said with a sigh.

Pembe giggled. "Oh, true! But you gotta love food!"

I laughed again. "A'ight, let's get moving!"

* * *

><p><strong>AAAAAH I FINALLY FINISHED THIS BUT I THINK IT'S AWFUL<strong>

**And kinda short.**

**But whatever.**

**That's right, Karen in the trilogy is from the Delta Line. Hehe.**

**Mind screeeeeeeew.**

**I really don't like this chapter.**

**But it's a chapter.**

**AND NOW I CAN GET BACK TO THE FUN THAT IS THE ALPHA KIDS**

**Reviews are love.**


	9. 8: Clefairy Dance At Midnight

**EVERMORE**

**~Sequel Of The Forever Trilogy~**

**Chapter 8**

**Clefairy Dance At Midnight**

_Friday, August 20, 5018._

_(Amber's POV)_

The last thing I expected to see when I woke up the next morning was a caterpie staring at my face, right up close and personal. And then caterpie smiled at me, too.

"Aaaah!" I yelled, jerking up in my sleeping bag, sending the caterpie flying off of me.

Juno, who had been laying flat on her back, passed out, leaped to attention. I unzipped my sleeping bag so I could get out, as someone pushed aside the flap of my tent to peek inside. It was only Dodge.

"Yo, Ambs, you okay?" he asked me.

"Yeah," I said mareepishly. "That little caterpie just startled me, that's all."

We both looked over to where the caterpie was rolling back onto its feet. Juno leaped onto my shoulder so she could get a closer look. I finally got all the way out of my sleeping bag when Dodge gasped.

"Hey, that's the same caterpie from before!" he exclaimed. "The one you healed in Viridian Forest!"

I blinked, and took a closer look at the bug pokemon. Huh, what do you know, he was right. It was that caterpie I saved back in the Viridian Forest. I could tell because there was a tiny scar behind its head.

"It must like you," Dodge said with a playful smirk. "You should catch it."

"Well, if it followed us all the way out here... it'd be cruel not to catch it," I said. "I'm not _that_ mean."

Dodge snorted, and rolled his eyes at me. "Just hurry up and get ready, 'kay? We're almost to Mount Moon."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," I said, waving him off. He rolled his eyes at me again, and then pulled out of the tent, closing the flap behind him.

I grabbed my bag, and pulled it onto my lap. I unzipped it, and dug through it for a poke ball. Once I found one, I tapped it on the caterpie's head, capturing it. It shook in my hand until it signaled a successful capture. I grinned and looked down at my new pokemon through the red lid. Then I took out my Pokedex to find out its gender.

"Another girl, finally," I said to the pikachu on my shoulder. "I'm going to name her... Diana!"

"_Sounds good to me_!" Juno agreed with a nod.

"All right!" I exclaimed. "Time to get ready!"

...

Once I was changed back into my regular clothes, and had wrestled through the mess that was my hair and put it up into a high ponytail, I dragged myself out of my tent. We actually had split up from Denver and Carnelian. We decided it would be best to take Mount Moon in a smaller group.

I grabbed my lucky socks and sneakers before standing up, walking, once again barefoot, to where my friends were gathered, eating breakfast. I sat down next to Dodge, throwing my shoes down. I started putting my socks on.

"It says here that there's a plaza of sorts on top of Mount Moon," Gio was saying, looking at a pamphlet of sorts. "There are vendors that sell special items from the mountain, and there's even a large pond where you can go swimming."

"Oooh, yeah!" Dodge exclaimed, his eyes brightening up. "We have to go to the top so we can swim!"

Of course he would want to f*cking swim. Dodge, just like his dad, loved the water. He loved swimming and all sorts of things like that. He was really good at that, too. And really, since it was going to get f*cking _hot_ out, that wasn't such a bad idea.

"Yeah!" I exclaimed after pulling on my second sock. "That would be f*cking awesome!"

Pyrite sighed. "I guess so."

"You're cool with it, right, Gio?" Dodge asked, standing up, but he didn't give the boy the chance to surprise. "Awesome! Let's go, then!"

"Hang on!" I snapped. "I still gotta put my shoes on!"

...

Mount Moon was a mountain, though it was no way near as tall as Mount Silver was. It looked like a hill compared to Mount Silver. There was a massive hole in the front, serving as an entrance into the caves. And it looked dark and damp.

Sh*t, darkness.

"Well, here's the entrance," Gio said, rubbing the back of his head. "So we just walk in, then?"

"Yeah," Pyrite said, taking a step towards the cave.

"Wait!" I yelled.

Pyrite turned around to look at me, slightly confused. "What?"

"It's f*cking dark in there!" I exclaimed, glaring at him. "I am not f*cking going in there when I can't see!"

Pyrite sighed again, and I continued to scowl at him. Gio, who had been a little further behind, walked up to stand next to me.

"I can have my jolteon use Flash if it really bothers you," he offered.

Oh, duh! "It f*cking does," I said, crossing my arms over my chest. "I'm not going anywhere without light."

He took out his jolteon's poke ball, and released it. Then he went inside the cave with it, and told it to use Flash. Moments later, we were all walking through the cave. It was damp, and still a little dark, but it was better than nothing. The rocky walls were lined with moss and fungi, and water was dripping down every now and then. I could smell mildew and other gross things.

"Hey, where's all the pokemon?" Dodge asked, looking around as we walked. "We should've bumped into at least one zubat by now."

Gio blinked. "Why zubat?"

Dodge turned around to look at him, walking backwards, and grinned devilishly. "They like to suck blood."

Gio's eyes grew wide with horror. "That's awful!"

Dodge shrugged, turning back around. "Zubat have to eat, too, you know."

Gio shuddered. "That's still nasty."

"Welcome to the real world," Pyrite said.

We walked in silence for a few more minutes, though as we rounded a corner, Dodge halted, raising his hand for us to stop. I opened my mouth to say something, but stopped myself when I heard what sounded like voices.

Gio's eyes brightened up. "Hey, that sounds like-"

"Ruzova," I growled, my hands clenching into fists. "Ugh, not that b*tch again!"

Gio turned to look at me, surprised. "She's probably just doing her job."

"What kind of f*cking job brings you all the way out in a f*cking mountain?" I demanded.

"She's just probably collecting pokemon," he replied, ever so calm, unfazed by me.

"Why does she need to collect pokemon?" Pyrite asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, she needs all the pokemon she can get for her work," he said.

"What work?" Dodge asked, confused.

"Oh, Team Rocket," he replied, still calm.

"TEAM ROCKET?" I shrieked, stunned. "What the f*cking hell? How many times do I have to tell you Team Rocket is bad and up to no f*cking good?"

He flinched back, stunned by my reaction. "But... they're not," he insisted. "They're going to help people!"

"No," I growled, my hands clenching back into fists. "They're _not_."

"I don't understand," he said, looking down at me, confusion swirling in his silver eyes. "Why do you hate Team Rocket so much? They're trying to make the world a better place!"

"Dude," Dodge said, putting his hands on his hips. "That's what the Government was supposed to do. You know what happened to them? They got overthrown."

"Yeah, but this is different!" Gio exclaimed. "Team Rocket isn't led by a crazy psychopath like the Government was! He's a great man."

"That's what they said about the president," Pyrite said, crossing his arms over his chest.

Gio turned to glare at him. "That's what they said about the High Commander of the Resistance before he disappeared."

Dodge and I froze, shocked that our new friend actually had the nerve to say that to Pyrite. Did he know that the High Commander of the Resistance was Pyrite's dad? Or was he just saying that because he didn't want us picking on Team Rocket's leader?

Either way, Pyrite was _p*ssed_.

I wasn't sure if I had ever seen Pyrite angry, but he was. His arms dropped to his sides, and his gold eyes locked onto Gio, narrowing. I think Gio realized he made a mistake because he froze up a little, though not as still as Dodge and I were.

"That's my father you're talking about," Pyrite said, his voice like ice. "I'd shut my trap if I were you."

"But it's true," Gio said, foolishly not backing down. "The president and the leader of Team Rocket never left their families."

"Don't compare my dad to those crooks," Pyrite growled, smoldering with fury. "Shut _up_."

"I'll shut up when you shut up."

"BOTH OF YOU SHUT THE HELL UP!" I screeched, and everyone flinched. I whipped around and poked Gio hard on the chest. "Look, if you talk sh*t about one of the leaders of the Resistance, you're talking sh*t about _all_ of them. Yeah, Pyrite's dad disappeared, but that doesn't make him a total loser. So what are you gonna say about my parents, huh? About Dodge's? I like you and all, Gio, but you can't f*cking talk sh*t about our families. _Got it_?"

I backed away from him; he was staring at me, his eyes wide with shock. I turned to face Pyrite. "Don't beat him up for his idiocy, _got it_?"

Pyrite scowled at me, and turned back to face the way we had been going. "Let's just go. It sounds like they're gone."

"Ahaha... Yeah, let's go!" Dodge exclaimed, obviously trying to lighten up the mood. "C'mon, guys!"

He set off again, rounding the corner, and Pyrite followed him. I glanced back at Gio briefly before following them. When we stepped out into the other opening, all signs of Team Rocket were gone, except for the fact that there were no wild pokemon around.

"How the hell are we supposed to f*cking train when there's no wild pokemon to f*cking battle?" I exclaimed with frustration, throwing my arms up into the air. "Argh! D*mn Team Rocket makes everything so f*cking difficult!"

"Will you please-" Gio began.

I whipped around to face him. "I'll say whatever the hell I want about them! Just drop Team Rocket being good around us, _okay_? Arceus!"

"Amber, chill out," Dodge said, raising his hands in a calm down gesture. "We can train once we're out of the mountain, okay?"

"Unless Team Rocket has taken those pokemon too," Pyrite said, annoyed, shooting a glare at Gio.

"Can we all just shut up and get along?" Dodge said, putting his hands on his hips again, glaring back and forth at Pyrite and Gio. "Seriously, guys."

Pyrite scowled again, and crossed his arms over his chest. "Fine."

"He's the one-" Gio began, but I turned my head to glare at him to shut up and he did.

"Thank you," Dodge said with a relieved sigh, before running a hand through his hair. "We can all cool off and relax once we're up on the mountain."

"Yeah!" I exclaimed with a grin. "Good thing I got a new swimsuit."

Dodge rolled his eyes at me. "Okay, let's get moving. _Again_."

...

"Aha!" I exclaimed, pointing to a wild paras slowly scuttling over the cave's dirty floor. "I knew I'd find one!"

"Do you really have to overreact like that?" Pyrite said with a sigh, walking past me. He pointedly walked around the little paras.

"Yes I f*cking do!" I snapped, glaring at him. "It makes everything more exciting! _Excuse_ me for wanting to make things fun!"

"Your loud voice isn't fun."

My hands clenched into fists as Gio, his jolteon, and Dodge finally caught all the way up to us. The paras continued to scuttle about as I glared at the back of Pyrite's head. He realized we all had stopped, so he turned back around to face us.

"What?" he asked me, scowling. "It's true."

Again, it was like a slap to my face. First what he said to me about Ruzova, and now this. What else was he gonna say?

"Just... shut up!" I snapped. "I... I _hate_ you! Just leave me alone!"

I stormed past him, leaving them all alone. I just wanted to be left alone. Luckily, Gio's jolteon followed me so I wouldn't be left in the dark. I don't know why what Pyrite said bothered me so much, but it did.

I rounded another corner, and sat down up against a wall. It was a little damp, but I frankly didn't give a sh*t. Gio's jolteon caught up to me, but saw that I wanted to be left alone, so he went to sit across from me, all the way on the other side of the small area.

Ugh... Why did his words bother me so much? Why did I care about what someone I hated said? I was so confused...

I reached for my belt, and took off a poke ball. I looked at it, seeing that it was Diana, my new caterpie. I sighed.

I heard footsteps, and suddenly the guys rounded the corner, stepping inside the little cave room. I glared up at Pyrite, and he glared back. Arceus, I guess what Gio said really did p*ss him off.

"Look, Amber," he said as I scowled up at him. "Aren't you being hypocritical? You say cruel things to me all the time, and I say one mean thing to you, and you flip out. Honestly, this is ridiculous."

"Like I said earlier, why can't we all just try to get along?" Dodge said, raising his hands.

I pushed myself back onto my feet, and crossed my hands over my chest. "Okay, fine. I'll try to be nicer. To... _everyone_. 'Cause... you're right. I'm... sorry."

In a way I was. And he was right, when I actually thought about it. But Pyrite and Dodge stared at me in shock, their eyes wide. I scowled, and eyed them.

"What?" I demanded.

"Amber Rosso-Senri actually apologized!" Dodge exclaimed, gasping. "Whoa! Who are you and what have you done with our Amber?"

I glared at him. "Shut up! You want me to be b*tchy, then? 'Cause that can be arranged."

"Hahaha, I'm just messing with you, Ambs!" he laughed, waving his hand at me.

"Ignore him," Pyrite said, giving our friend a dry look. "Come on, we're almost to the square."

...

About ten minutes later, we finally had climbed to the top, and walked out of the cave. Jolteon doused his light and returned to his trainer's side as we all stopped abreast to each other, and gazed out at the sight before us in awe.

"Whoa," I breathed.

It was not what I was expecting at all.

There were little booths set up being manned by people, families, even. Children were running around, playing with pokemon. There was laughter and giggling. Everyone just looked so happy. Kids were playing in the water, too, being watched by their mothers.

"How did we not know about this?" Dodge exclaimed, throwing up his arms.

"It's a secret paradise," Pyrite said, calm. "You wouldn't want it to be overcrowded now, would you?"

"Good point."

"Wow," Gio said, looking around. "This is great. There's so much to do!"

"How about we check out the booths first?" I asked. "So then we have more time to swim!"

Dodge nodded, and grinned at me. "Sounds like a plan."

"All right!" I exclaimed, grinning back at him. "C'mon, let's go, we don't have all day!"

I bounded forward, wondering what we would find here. I didn't bother taking out my skateboard because I wanted to take my time and check out this place. We split up, and Gio wisely decided to go with me, which would give Pyrite a chance to cool down.

Juno leaped up onto my head as we walked along. I looked around, trying to see if something caught my attention. But so far nothing had, so I glanced over at Gio, who was looking around at everything with wide eyes. I really didn't know that much about him, so I decided to ask him some questions about himself.

"So, Gio," I said, and he looked back over at me. "How long have you had Jolteon?"

"Oh, since I was little," he said, looking down at the eeveelution as he walked beside him. "We've never been apart."

"You never had to go to school?" I asked, giving him a curious look.

He shook his head. "I was homeschooled by... my mom. Until... she died, anyways..."

I stopped right there, freezing on the spot. He slowed, and turned around to look at me, a sad expression across his face. I just stared at him, horrified. Oh my Arceus, that was just terrible!

"I'm so sorry, Gio, I didn't know, I shouldn't-"

He raised his hand, and I shut up. "It's fine. It... doesn't bother me as much as it used to..."

"Don't lie," I said, walking closer to him. "It's okay if it still bugs you, Gio. If my mom died, it would always bother me."

"I'm just... used to it," he said quietly, looking down at the ground. "She was only alive for a short period in my life..."

I reached up to put my hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Gio. You don't have to tell me anything."

He looked down at me, mixed emotions swimming in his eyes, before cracking a smile. "Thanks, Amber. I know you didn't say a lot, but it means a lot to me."

I grinned and waved him off. "It's nothing. C'mon, let's check this place out! There's gotta be something cool here to buy!"

...

I was slightly surprised to find Denver with Dodge and Pyrite when we met up again. We were all going to swim, but Carne had run off somewhere apparently. I decided to go look for her while the guys headed off to get changed to go to the pond.

Juno had left her perch on my head to scamper ahead of me to help look. I was starting to get frustrated, looking around for my crimson-haired friend but finding nobody. What was Carnelian's problem to make her run off like that?

Finally, I spotted her crouching down behind a rock of all f*cking things, her arms wrapped around her knees. She was hiding all right. I scowled, and stalked up to the rock.

"Carne, what the hell are you doing?" I demanded, putting my hands on my hips.

She jumped, startled by the sound of my voice. I looked down at her, narrowing my eyes. This was f*cking stupid.

"Well?" I snapped.

"I don't want to go swimming," she snapped, her red eyes flashing with anger.

"Why not?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

Her cheeks tinted pink, and she looked away from me. "You wouldn't understand."

"Try me," I spat, walking over to where she was sitting, lowering myself down on the ground in front of her.

"Well... I don't want... someone to see me."

"What?" I scoffed, raising any eyebrow. "Who?"

"Ugh..." She looked up at me and glared. "Dodge. Who else do you freaking _think_?"

I froze for a moment. Wait a minute... If she didn't want Dodge to see her in her swimsuit... Did that mean... she _liked_ him? Like, _like-like_? Oh my Arceus, I so did not f*cking expect that.

"Please tell me you don't like him," I practically begged.

Dodge was my best friend, and it would be weird if I knew another good friend of mine had a f*cking crush on him. Really f*cking weird.

Her face turned even redder. "Why does it matter? You don't like him, too, do you?"

Okay, I so did not expect her to say that.

"WHAT THE F*CK?! HELL TO THE F*CK*ING NO! I WOULD RATHER F*CKING DIE THAN TO LIKE HIM! HE'S MY BEST FRIEND, D*MMIT, NOT MY F*CKING SECRET CRUSH! WHY IN THE NAME OF F*CK*ING ARCEUS WOULD I EVEN F*CKING LIKE HIM?! I DON'T F*CKING LIKE ANYONE!"

I leaped up to my feet and pointed my finger at her angrily. "That bastard is all yours! I don't give a sh*t. Now come on, you're f*cking going swimming with me whether you like it or not! I'm not gonna be the only d*mn girl there!"

I reached down to grab her by the arm, and dragged her along with me. I pulled her into the women's changing room near the pond, and shoved her into a stall with her bag. Then I stormed into another free stall.

That b*tch was not going to leave me alone on this one. I quickly changed into my red bikini, and fixed my ponytail, tightening it up. Then I stalked out of the stall with my bag, where Juno was waiting for me. She leaped up onto my shoulder, and then I walked over to the door of Carne's stall.

"Carnelian Marun, you better be f*cking changing in there, or I was f*cking come in there and change you myself," I threatened darkly.

"Okay, okay, I'm changing, I'm changing!"

"Good," I snapped, turning around. "You better be outside in under f*cking ten minutes."

I stalked out of the building, out into the sun. It was starting to set, seeing as it was around afternoon. I looked around to see that the boys were already in the pond, and were the only ones. Good, that gave us more f*cking space.

I took a couple steps closer, but then looked up at the Pikachu on my shoulder. "You might want to get down, Juno."

She quickly leaped off, landing lightly on the ground. I returned my attention to the pond. I was going to make a grand entrance. I smirked devilishly to myself, knowing exactly what I was going to do. I doubted they even had a clue.

I bolted towards the pond as fast as I could, and then when I reached the edge, I yelled, "CANNONBALL!" and then jumped as hard as I could, wrapping my arms around my legs. There were startled shouts as I splashed into the water.

I pushed myself back up to the surface, taking a deep breath once I was up. I grinned widely at the very irritated faces of my friends.

"...Did you really have to do that, Amber?" Dodge sighed, brushing his now soaking blue bangs away from his eyes.

"Hell yeah!" I exclaimed. "Don't complain, you _like_ water!"

I heard a sigh, and looked to see Pyrite trying to fix his hair as well, though his bangs were much crazier than Dodge's. He didn't seem happy at all, but whatever. If he couldn't enjoy this, it was his own stupid fault. I just scowled at him, and he scowled right back.

I turned in the water to face Gio. His cheeks were tinted pink and he was staring at me, his eyes wide. Huh? What was the big deal? What the hell was wrong with him?

"...What?" I demanded, starting to scowl again.

"Uuuhh... N-Nothing!" he stammered, blushing even more. "J-Just... your... y-your swimsuit..."

"...You've never seen a girl in a bathing suit before?" Pyrite asked incredulously, raising an eyebrow.

"Um... No..." Gio sweatdropped. "I guess I was really... s-sheltered..."

I'd say he was f*cking sheltered all right.

"Dude, you've been depraved," Denver said with a snort.

"WHAT?" I shrieked, making everyone flinch.

"Ambs, chill, seriously," Denver sighed. "You know it's true. The only guy who doesn't like seeing girls in bathing suits is gay or asexual like our dear friend Dodge here."

"...I'm not asexual."

"You obviously show no interest in girls nor guys."

"...Does it really _matter_, Denver?"

Pyrite sighed heavily. "Knock it off, you two. Arceus."

I scowled at both of them, and turned back around to face where I had come from. I was glad to see that Carne had finally removed herself from the changing room, and was heading our way.

"About f*cking time!" I exclaimed as she reached us, and she glared at me.

"Shut up," she snapped halfheartedly before lowering herself down and sliding in.

Denver frowned, obviously catching that something was wrong. "You okay, Carne?"

"I'm fine," she said. "Now let's have some fun, okay?"

"Yeah!" I cheered, and then proceeded to splash her with water. "WATER FIGHT!"

"Oooh, you're so on!" she exclaimed, before pushing me underwater.

We continued to play and mess around as it got dark. It reminded me of the days when I was little, when I would go over to Quartz's house and play in their pool... Whoa, I actually remembered something from my childhood... That was really f*cking weird.

I guess these experiences were helping me remember. But why did I forget in the first place?

Anyways, I had a blast. We managed to get Pyrite back into a better mood, too. And, well... I would never admit it, but something just made me feel better hearing him laugh and seeing him smile.

...It was f*cking weird. What the hell was wrong with me?!

Anyways, since it was getting late and it was dark—Gio's Jolteon used Flash for me—we decided it was best to leave. However, right as we were all getting out, Carne suddenly tugged on my arm, stopping me.

"Look at the moon!" she exclaimed, her red eyes wide with awe. "It's full!"

I looked up to the sky to see the full moon shining down at us. It was beautiful. Maybe that's also why it didn't seem so dark to me. Heh, that was a good thing!

"Wow," I breathed. "It's amazing."

"I've never seen it so beautiful before," Gio said, absolutely astounded.

"Guys... Look..." Pyrite's tone was so hushed I almost couldn't hear him.

I followed his train of sight, and then saw what he was seeing. A group of clefairy had gathered from somewhere, and now was heading towards the pond. We all backed up slowly, trying to stay as quiet as possible so not to startle them. We watched in awe as the clefairy began to dance around the pond.

I was frozen, taken aback. This was so amazing! I couldn't believe I was actually getting to see this!

It only lasted a few minutes, and then they were gone and we were all standing in awed silence.

"Guys..." I began once I was able to find my voice.

"...Yeah?" Pyrite asked, still in amazement.

"...Let's come here again."

* * *

><p><strong>WOW LOOK AN UPDATE<strong>

**Aha**

**Ahahahahaha**

**Anyways.**

**Amber has a new Pokemon! Diana the Caterpie! Caterpie and its evolutions don't get much credit, so I thought it would be fitting for Amber with her beliefs on what Pokemon she trains and such.**

**A lot happened in this chapter. You guys want character development for Amber? Well, it's coming earlier on in this arc than I originally planned. And that means North-South can start to actually make some progress! There were several hints in this chapter, ehehehe.**

**Along with Phi... Ahahaha...**

**Carne has admitted to liking Dodge! But he has noooooo idea.**

**Things are finally starting to pick up, and it's going to get GOOD, guys.**

**Enough rambling.**

**GO AND REVIEW**


	10. 9: The Terror of Tyranitar

**EVERMORE**

**~Sequel Of The Forever Trilogy~**

**Chapter 9**

**The Terror of Tyranitar**

_Saturday, August 21, 5018._

_(Amber's POV)_

We decided to camp out at the base of Mount Moon since it was past midnight by the time we got out of the mountain. I convinced everyone to get up early the next morning so we could make up for the time we spent on the mountain.

"Cerulean City, huh?" Dodge said as we walked along. "My dad trained the Gym leader there. Her name's Marina, and supposedly she's descended from Misty."

"Oi, you might have some trouble with her, Ambs," Denver said with an amused smirk.

I looked up at him, confused. "Whaddaya mean?"

"Everybody knows the story, Ambs," Denver said, shaking his head at me like he was ashamed. "Misty had a thing for Red and then Yellow came and whisked him away from her forever."

"Not this again!" Carne groaned. "Arceus, you love any kind of drama story, don't you, Denver? You're like a popular, prissy, preppy gossipy girl. Oh wait, it's Verdant's fault, isn't it?"

"Yeah, probably."

Carnelian slapped her forehead.

Gio frowned, looking confused. "Wouldn't it be his mom's fault?"

We all stopped walking. Dear Arceus, he didn't know. Well, nobody told him. But Denver was a nice guy so I doubted he'd be a jerk about it.

"Well, technically Verdant is my mom. He sure acts like it," Denver said with an amused snort. "I have two dads, Gio."

Gio's eyes grew wide. "B-But that's impossible!"

"I'm adopted," Denver added, not seeming offended at all.

"I... I don't understand. How can you have two dads...?"

"Oh my Arceus," Pyrite groaned, giving him an irritated look. "Are you _that_ thick? What's there not to get?"

Gio scowled and glared at him and I could feel the tension in the air thickening. I glanced at Dodge, and he just shrugged. I swore, if they started fighting again, I would kick both of their a**es.

"Guys, you better not f*cking start," I snapped hotly. "It's early and I don't want to deal with your sh*t."

And with that, I stalked away from them, continuing our trek to Cerulean. Juno scampered after me, and Dodge, Denver, and Carnelian joined me after a moment. Pyrite followed seconds later, and then finally Gio caught up. The silence was thick between us.

"So, uh," Carne began awkwardly, breaking the silence. "The Cerulean Gym. Water types. Oh freaking _joy_."

"You're so dead," Dodge said with a devilish smirk.

"S-Shut up!" the crimson-haired girl snapped, shooting him a glare. "At least I won't get pounded by the _'Radical'_ Rai!"

"...Radical Rai?" I echoed. "Who the hell is that?"

"That's just what his stupid fangirls call him," Carne snorted, scrunching up her nose. "He's the Gym leader of Vermillion. Rai Surge, descended from Lieutenant Surge. He uses Electric types. His raichu is supposed to be real hardcore. Ugh, I can't stand fangirls."

"I don't care about winning all the badges like you do," Dodge snorted. "I'm just traveling the region, chilling with my friends. You're not included, of course."

Arceus, that was harsh! Especially considering how she felt about him. That was... something I would say to Pyrite.

I... really was a b*tch, wasn't I?

Carnelian's red eyes widened with shock, and then narrowed as her lips formed a scowl. Her hands clenched into fists as she glared at him.

"S-Shut up! You don't have to remind me!" she snapped, her eyes flashing. "I'd never want to be friends with you!" She lowered her arms to her sides. "Ugh, screw this. I'm going ahead. I'll see you guys in Cerulean."

We stood in silence as Carne released her Pignite and stormed away. Then, all of a sudden, Denver reached out and smacked Dodge upside the back of his head. The abrupt movement made Gio flinch.

"Hey!" Dodge snapped, rubbing the back of his head. "What was that for?!"

"That," Denver drawled, "is for being a jerk to Carne. That was totally uncalled for, dude."

"Yeah," agreed Pyrite. "That's something _Amber_ would say."

"Hey!" I snapped angrily, shooting him a glare. "Don't drag me into this!"

"You know it's true," he said darkly, looking down at me with a scowl on his face. "You're probably rubbing off on Dodge."

"S-Shut the f*ck up!" I snapped again, but my voice was slightly shaky. Why did his words hurt so much...? I didn't understand. "I said I was sorry! I'm... I'm..."

I couldn't finish my sentence. I didn't even know what I was going to say.

"Whoa, dude, not you too!" Denver exclaimed. "Everybody just needs to chill and take a deep breath!"

"Leave her alone!" Gio snapped, suddenly jumping to my defense. "She hasn't done anything!"

"Oh Arceus," Denver groaned, rubbing his forehead. "What's going _on_?"

"Gio, stay out of this!" I snapped, trying to get some of my sass back.

"But-" he began.

"Everyone, shut up for a sec!" Denver exclaimed, raising his hands. "We should split up. We're fighting too much the way we are. Gio, Dodge, you're coming with me. Ry, Ambs, you should talk out your problems. We'll get through this!"

"But I-" Gio began again.

"Let's go!" Denver exclaimed, grabbing the protesting boy by the arm and dragging him away, Dodge following momentarily. "See you guys later!"

I crossed my arms over my chest once we were alone. It was silent for a couple minutes. I wasn't about to say anything. I didn't know what to say.

"Amber..." I looked up over at him. "I'm... sorry."

I didn't say anything.

"I just..." He sighed, brushing his bangs to the side only to have them flop back in place. "I just don't like seeing you act like that. I know you're much better than this."

He... didn't like it when I acted like that? Well, who would? I was so stupid. This whole time, I had been telling myself Pyrite was a nasty pervert and here he was telling me he didn't like my behavior. He... believed in me.

It was a nice feeling... knowing someone believed in you.

Ugh... Since when was I so f*cking sappy?

"You... You think I'm better than this?" I asked, gesturing to myself.

He was quiet for a moment. "I don't think, Amber. I know. You can do anything you set out to do."

I pursed my lips, and took a couple steps closer to him. I looked up at him and smirked. "Flattery won't get you anywhere, Pyrite."

He laughed, actually smiling. "You were asking for it."

My expression sobered. "I know I already said I'm sorry, but... I'm saying it again. I really am sorry. After seeing how Carne felt after Dodge said that to her made me realize what a b*tch I am. Nobody deserves that treatment. I'm never going to get anywhere acting like that... I'm... I'm not going to just try to be nicer. I'm going to... become a better person."

"Amber..."

"So... uh..." F*ck, I hated getting all emotional. In front of Pyrite, too. Arceus, I was supposed to be tough. "I... probably need someone to back me up on it. Keep on reminding me. And... since you... since you think I can get better..." I took a deep breath to calm myself. It would not kill Amber Rosso-Senri to ask for help. I hated doing it, but I knew I couldn't do this without someone reminding me. "Will you have my back?"

His gold eyes widened with surprise. "You... You want _help_?"

"Yes," I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest again. "You don't have to rub it in my face!"

"Sorry, I was just surprised, that's all," he said, raising his hands in a calm down gesture. "Relax. Of course I'll help you. You can count on me, Amber."

Hearing him say that flooded me with relief. It made me happy. It made me feel... warm inside. I was so happy, I surprised him by suddenly glomping him in a hug.

"Thank you!" I exclaimed, squeezing him. "Thank you so much!"

...Then I realized what I was doing.

I jerked away from him, feeling the blood rush to my cheeks. Pyrite was frozen in place, in shock. Why the hell did I do that?!

"Uh.. Um... If you tell anyone about that, I'll kick your a**!" I threatened hastily, my cheeks blazing.

"I... won't..." he said finally, slipping out of his shocked mode.

"Good," I said, still blushing. "Um... So... uh... we're friends, now, right?"

"Right," he agreed with a nod. "Friends."

We stood in awkward silence for a moment.

"...We should... go now," I said after a bit.

"...Yeah," he agreed.

And so we set off to Cerulean City once again. Juno, who had been watching us, leaped up onto my shoulder. Though our conversation had ended awkwardly, I felt a lot better. It was like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

Pyrite really was a good guy. I could... trust him.

...

We caught up to the other guys not long after we finally started moving again. And then, we found Carne right outside the city, talking to two familiar faces.

"Heeeeey, they're here!" came the cheerful, excited voice of Galena as she moved out from in front of Carne, and bounded up to us. "Ambs! Ry! Dodge! Denver! And Gio, too!"

I saw Carne scowl—probably at Dodge—right before Galena dashed up to me and threw her arms around me, glomping me in a hug.

"Agh! Let me go, Lena!" I complained; that girl had a serious grip.

She released her grip on me, and proceeded to hug each of the boys. Pyrite, Dodge, and Denver were used to it, but Gio wasn't and he looked a little shocked when she finished hugging him. Jeez, that boy needed to get a grip on himself.

"Hi guys!" came the energized exclamation from Bronze as he joined us, his silver eyes bright with excitement.

"Hey, Galena, Bronze," Pyrite greeted them. "You're here for the Gym badge too, right?"

"Well, Bronze is!" Galena replied. "I don't really care about the Gym badges, to be honest. I just like traveling with my brother!"

"Let's go to the Pokemon Center," Pyrite said, and we all looked at him. "We can heal our pokemon and catch up there!"

"Great idea!" Galena exclaimed, a grin breaking out on her face. "Let's go, guys!"

So, we all headed into the city to find the Pokemon Center. Cerulean was much larger than in the past. Well, according to the boring textbooks we had to study in school. It was busy, but the technology wasn't as advanced as, say, Opelucid City in Unova. Kanto, after all, was more centered in old fashioned ways, though not as much as Johto. Luckily, it only took us a few minutes to find the Center, and I was the first one to reach the door.

But right as I stepped in front of the door, it slid open, revealing the last person I wanted to see. Zircon f*cking Oak stepped out of the Pokemon Center as I begrudgingly took a step back so he could.

"Well well well, look who is," he said with a smirk as I glared up at him. "Little Miss Loser."

"Shut the hell up!" I snapped, and Juno tensed on my shoulder. "I can take you any day!"

"Is that a challenge?" he asked, taunting me with that snide little smirk of his.

"You're so on!" I yelled, clenching my hands into fists. "I'm gonna kick your a** so hard you'll run home to your mommy crying!"

"Ha, at least you won't have too run far," he said, lifting his hand to flip his hair.

It took every bit of my self control not to lift my clenched fist and pop him in his pretty little snide face. Instead, I just glared at him again, and turned around to face my friends. Dodge looked amused, Galena's eyes were bright with some sort of mischievous, sneaky light, and Pyrite looked like he wanted to say, "...Seriously?"

"...I have to heal my pokemon first," I said, suddenly remembering.

"No duh," Pyrite deadpanned, taking a step forward. "Let's go."

...

A few minutes later, we had all gathered in a small, open, green area perfect for battles. There were benches where everyone else was sitting down to watch. I was slightly horrified to see Galena pull out a camera; her explanation was that she wanted to film our battle for her blog.

Whups, I had forgotten about the blogs.

Either way, I didn't exactly wanting her to film our battle if I somehow ended up losing to the b**tard. I didn't want the whole f*cking Internet to see me lose. It would be humiliating. Ugh.

"This'll be easy," Zircon said with a smirk from where he stood several yards across from me. "You won't know what hit you!"

"Shut up!" I snapped, taking out a poke ball. "C'mon, Mars!"

The raticate appeared in a flash of light. He snarled, snapping his fangs together menacingly. Zircon merely rolled his eyes, taking out his own poke ball. I tensed, wondering what he would send out. This battle was serious f*cking business to me.

"Elekid, you're up!" he exclaimed, releasing the pokemon.

The elekid looked at Mars rather lazily, like he had better things to do than waste his time battling us. That really fired me up. There was no way I could lose to Zircon! He didn't deserve any wins!

"Mars," I said, and he tensed, ready to make a move. "Use Hyper Fang!"

The raticate lunged forward, using as much speed as he could to his advantage. The elekid didn't have time to counter or attempt to dodge, which was my goal. Mars sunk his fangs into his foe, knocking the elekid down on his back.

"Ha! _'This'll be easy'_!" I exclaimed in a mocking tone, grinning wickedly.

Zircon scowled at me, but had no counter statement. "Elekid, Electro Ball!"

The next thing I knew, the elekid used the sphere of voltage to hurl Mars off of him. The raticate hit the ground and rolled, before hopping back onto his feet, snarling. Luckily, he wasn't paralyzed. That would have been really bad.

"Mars, Quick Attack, now!" I commanded.

"Low Kick!" Zircon ordered.

SH*T!

I watched in horror as the two pokemon collided. The elekid's foot slammed into Mars's chest right as he reached his enemy. Arceus, it was painful for me to watch. Mars was thrown back again, but this time his eyes were squeezed shut in pain. He hit the ground and skidded to a halt several feet in front of me. He tried to get back up, only to collapse back down.

I took out his poke ball, and returned him, gritting my teeth. "Good job, Mars," I said to him, before putting his poke ball away.

"See?" Zircon said mockingly. "It _is_ easy. You can fight all you want, but you'll never win, Amber."

I scowled, my hands clenching into fists. "That's not true! I'm not a loser!"

"You sure about that?" he taunted, smirking. "I heard your win against Rocky was a miracle in itself. You think you'll make it any farther? You may beat Marina, but that's probably it. Rai will wipe the floor with you. He's a prodigy, after all. And what are you?"

What... was I? What was that supposed to mean? "What are you trying to say?" I demanded angrily.

Zircon crossed his arms over his chest. "You have no talent, you idiot."

"WHAT?!" I shrieked. "EXCUSE ME?! WHAT THE F-"

Just then, a girl with a starmie ran up to us, and shouted, "Oak!"

I shut my mouth, and turned to look at her, as did my rival. The girl had to be about fifteen or so. She was of average height, and oddly enough, was wearing a light blue one piece swimsuit of all f*cking things, with a dark blue jacket over it. She had long, straight light brown hair pulled up in a side ponytail. Her eyes were blue.

"Oh, Marina," he said, turning to face her. "Is there a problem?"

Wait, this was Marina, the Gym leader?!

"There sure is!" she exclaimed, sounding urgent. "I just got a report about strange people in black outfits doing some sort of experiment down by the cape. It's bothering the pokemon, and nobody can go down there for dates. It sounds serious, so if I'm to go and investigate, I would like some strong trainers to go with me."

"Well, you can count on me," Zircon said with a nod, before looking over at me. "We'll battle again." He returned his elekid, and then began to walk over to Marina.

"Wait!" I exclaimed as my friends started heading over where we were standing. "I want to help!"

Marina blinked at me right as my friends reached me. "Who are you...? I recognize Dodge, but that's it."

"Yo, Rina," Dodge greeted her with a friendly wave.

She gave him a friendly smile, and Carne tensed up. Dear Arceus. I f*cking hate drama.

"I'm Amber Rosso-Senri!" I exclaimed. "I came here with my friends to challenge you. But if there's a problem, I want to help!"

"Jeez, Ambs, you actually want to _help_ someone?" Dodge scoffed, mocking surprise.

"S-Shut up, Dodge!" I snapped, lightly punching him on the arm.

"Rosso-Senri, huh...?" she said, thinking. "You're that general's kid? The Viridian Gym Leader's? I didn't know she had another daughter."

"She has a _lot_ of kids," Dodge said knowingly.

"...Are you implying something, Dodger?" I asked, an edge in my voice.

"Ugh, don't call me that," he sighed, scrunching up his nose. "It's not like your family has the Kimu problem."

"...I resent that," Pyrite said, giving us both looks.

"Hey man, just stating the truth!" Dodge said raising his hands in a calm down gesture.

"Oh man, you guys are too good," Denver said with a laugh, amused.

Carne looked annoyed, Gio looked confused as always, Galena was giggling, and Bronze looked excited, but then again he always looked excited.

"Anyways," I said, returning my attention to Marina. "All of us can help! We're strong trainers!"

"Humph," Zircon snorted. "Yeah right. The only strong one out of the whole lot of you is probably Pyrite."

"Well, Bronze and I don't care about being strong!" Galena said with a shrug. "But we'll help! Right, Bronze?"

"Right!" her brother exclaimed excitedly, his silver eyes bright.

"Oh, fine," Carne huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'll help too."

"I'm in! Denver, Gio, you guys, too, right?" Dodge said, looking at them.

"Sure, why not?" was Denver's response.

"I guess so..." was Gio's.

"Pyrite..." I said slowly, looking up at him. "You'll help too?"

"Everyone else is, so I might as well," he told me with a shrug.

We all turned to look at Marina. She looked surprised.

"Well, if you're all strong trainers and want to help, I won't stop you," she said. "But we should split up into groups-"

"Riiiight!" Galena exclaimed, a mischievous glint in her green eyes. "Groups! Sooooo..."

Oh dear Arceus, no-

"Dodge, Carne, Bronze, Denver, and Gio! And then Zirc, Ambs, Ry, Marina, and me!" Galena declared.

"What?!" Carne demanded. "Why do I have to go with them?!"

Galena grinned wickedly. "We're going to Cerulean Cape. Like Marina said, it's used for dates. Of course you should go with Dodge!"

Carnelian's face flushed such a bright red it nearly matched her hair. "S-Shut up!"

"Whoa whoa, did I miss something?" Dodge demanded.

"A date...?" Gio echoed, a thoughtful look coming across his face. "That's when you go out with someone you like, right...?"

"Yup," Denver answered with a nod.

Thank Arceus he knew that much.

"Then I should be in the other group..." he said slowly.

Wait, what?

WHAT DID HE SAY?

Holy f*ck, what was going on?!

"...What?" was my brilliant response.

"Dear Arceus, what have I gotten myself into?" Marina sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"You have no idea," Zircon deadpanned. "I'm surrounded by hormonal idiots."

Pyrite sighed heavily.

"Please?" Gio asked hopefully.

"If he wants to come with us, just let him," Pyrite said, turning. "We shouldn't waste any more time.

"What?!" I cried. "Are you crazy?! Our group is big enough! We could attract attention."

"Then I'll just switch places with him-"

"HELL NO!" I screeched, making nearly everyone flinch or jump. "YOU'RE STAYING AND COMING WITH ME!"

"Whoa, Amber, chill-" he began, shocked by my explosion.

"NO! WE'RE GOING NOW!" I yelled, before grabbing him by the hand and dragging him away.

"Whoa, wait for us guys!" Galena called out. "Come on, Zircy! We can't let them have all the fun!"

"...Hey, what's that supposed to mean? Let me go, Galena!"

I finally realized I was holding Pyrite's hand when I had managed to pull him nearly all the way to the Golden Bridge. I froze, finally letting Pyrite stand up straight. Holy crap, _I was holding his hand_. What was wrong with me?!

I quickly yanked my hand away from his, feeling my face heat up with embarrassment. I couldn't believe I f*cking did that!

"S-Sorry!" I stammered. "I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine, Amber," he sighed after I cut myself off.

"WAIT UP!"

We both turned to see Galena f*cking dragging along Zircon. And boy, did he look p*ssed. She finally let him go, and scampered up to us, her eyes bright with excitement.

"What did I miss?!" she asked, a little out of breath.

"...Nothing...?" I said slowly, confused.

"Darn," she sighed, looking disappointed. "OH, the others are coming!:

"Galena," said Zircon, walking up to us, just as I saw the others catching up, looking agitated. "You're an idiot."

"Oh, silly Zirc," she laughed, flipping her hand at him. "You're just slow!"

He pinched the bridge of his nose.

"There you are!" Marina called as she and the others finally reached us. "Don't do that again," she said sternly. "Rash actions will get yourselves seriously hurt in dangerous situations."

"...I know, I know," I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest.

"...No you don't," Zircon deadpanned.

"Shut up, Oak!" I snapped, glaring at him.

"Make me," he retorted, taking a step closer to me.

"I f*cking will!" I snapped back, moving closer to him as well.

"No, you won't," Pyrite said, catching my attention. "You're going to be nicer, remember?"

...Sh*t, he was right. D*mmit.

I scowled, and stepped back. "...Right. You f*cking lucked out, Oak."

He laughed. "You're just a wimp."

Okay, that was it, I was f*cking going to-

"Whoa, both of you stop!" Marina snapped. "Arceus, fighting gets you nowhere. Just because your ancestors didn't always get along doesn't mean you shouldn't either! We have to work together to save the pokemon!"

"Marina's right," Pyrite said, looking at both of us.

"Humph," Zircon snorted, flipping his hair. "I suppose we can get along this once."

"Fine," I spat, recrossing my arms over my chest. "Just this time. But after this, we are so finishing that battle!"

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Zircon replied with a smirk.

Ugh, he was such a cocky b***ard. Sometimes I just wished he'd shut up and leave me the hell alone.

Marina sighed again, and ran a hand through her bangs. "Dear Arceus. Let's get going."

...

We split up again, though Gio ended up joining our group in the end. I guess it was okay, but he really freaked me out with the whole not-directly-saying-he-liked-someone-thing. I wondered who it was.

Anyways, we all saw that there was trouble at the end of the Golden Bridge. It was blocked off by several men dressed like those creeps who tried to steal the pokemon out of Professor Pine's lab that Opal and I dealt with. That meant only one thing.

It was f*cking Team Rocket.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me," I said when we all stopped.

Gio blinked, and looked at me. "What's wrong? It's just Team Rocket..."

"Not this again," Pyrite sighed. "Look, Gio, we all know Team Rocket isn't up to any good. You should stop supporting them."

"Gio supports Team Rocket?" Galena asked, her eyes widening. "Why? That's, like, supporting the Government!"

"You wouldn't understand!" Gio exclaimed, getting defensive. "Team Rocket's just trying to help, like the Government was! The Government just did it all wrong!"

"Okay, so there's a right way?" Pyrite sighed again. "Let's just not talk about it, Gio."

Gio scowled at him. "Whatever. You _definitely_ wouldn't understand."

"...Am I missing something?" Marina asked slowly.

"...Probably," Zircon deadpanned. "Anyways, Team Rocket, whether they're good or not, is causing problems for the cape. So we can't just let them do what they want."

I watched as he walked forward, passing all of us, closer to the men. He took out a poke ball, and released his starter, which had obviously evolved into a wartortle. He turned back to look at us.

"Well, what are you waiting for? We don't have all day."

I snorted, and reached down into my bag to get a poke ball, too. "Might as well get some training in," I said, before releasing Diana; the caterpie appeared in a flash of light.

And when Zircon saw her, he gave me an incredulous look. "A caterpie? Seriously? Ha, and you expect to win with that thing!"

My hands clenched into fists as my caterpie's eyes grew wide from the insult, and backed up towards me, drooping. "Shut up! Diana doesn't have to be a rare pokemon to be strong! You don't have to be special to be strong!"

He just rolled his eyes. "Just keep on telling yourself that."

"Zircon, leave her alone," Pyrite sighed; he had been sighing a lot today. "This gets us nowhere."

"Yeah, you need to be nicer, Zircy!" Galena chided him, yet still sounding cheerful.

I would never understand any of them.

"Whatever," was Zircon's response as he shrugged. "We've wasted enough time. C'mon!"

...A**hole. Ugh.

"...Come on, Diana," I said, taking a step forward. The caterpie looked up at me, her eyes still wide. "We'll show him."

The caterpie seemed skeptical, but she followed me. The others took out poke balls, too. Well, everyone but Gio. Why was he even coming with us...? He would just get in the way.

But before we could get any closer, something happened.

"Uh, guys!" I heard Carne call from where the other group was behind us. "We're cornered!"

"What are you-" Marina began, whipping around.

I turned around, too, and was surprised by what I saw. More grunts had arrived; they must have realized we were going to try to stop them. Sh*t, that was not good at all! D*mmit, Team Rocket!

Marina, however, did not look surprised or phased. "You guys handle them! We'll take care of the ones up here, and then advance! Don't let any back up make it through!"

"Got it, Rina!" Dodge shouted back, before they all released their pokemon.

This was f*cking serious. Maybe Zircon was right... Maybe it was a bad idea to catch Diana...

No, I couldn't think like that! If I didn't believe in my pokemon, we wouldn't be able to win!

"Starmie!" Marina shouted, pointing to the five grunts at the end of the bridge. "Hydro Pump!"

The star-shaped pokemon whirled into the air, and blasted pressured water at the men right as they released their own pokemon. The pokemon were hit hard by the attack, and sent flying back. The grunts had to get out of the way so their own pokemon wouldn't hit them.

Holy f*ck, that starmie was _strong_!

"Now, guys!" she told us. "Rapid Spin, Starmie!"

The starmie spun with wicked speed until it slammed into a raticate. The pokemon was knocked out after that. I was really impressed. Well, Marina _was_ trained by Navy.

...Maybe Zircon was right about me after all...

No, I couldn't think about that right now! I had some Team Rocket a** to kick!

"Don't hurt them too much!" I heard Gio exclaim in desperation.

"Pyrite!" I called, and he looked over at me, having just sent out his quilava.

"What?" he asked, confused.

"Diana isn't very strong right now!" I said firmly. "I need someone to have my back!"

His eyes widened. "You want _me_ to back you?"

"What?!" I demanded defensively. "Dodge isn't here! Who else am I gonna choose?!"

"...Fine, whatever," he said, and Ex looked up at him. "Let's just get moving!"

"Right!" I agreed. "Diana! It's time to battle!"

The caterpie let out a cry, and seemed to steel herself. That was the spirit! We could do this!

"Okay! Diana, use Tackle!" I commanded, pointing to a weaker looking ratatta that had just been released.

She lunged towards it, but it was fast, and leaped towards her, looking like it was about to use Bite. But Pyrite had our back just like he said he would, and Ex leaped to action, slamming into the ratatta's side using Flame Wheel.

"Now Tackle!" I shouted.

Diana slammed into the downed ratatta, finishing it off. I looked over at Pyrite and grinned at him. And he actually smiled back at me, which totally lit up his face after he'd kinda been pretty serious today. It... made me feel good to see him like that.

...What in the name of Arceus was _wrong_ with me today?! Seriously?!

"C'mon!" I said, taking a few steps forward. "We have to-"

Suddenly, the whole bridge rocked, knocking me up against the side rail. Diana was rolled onto her back. Everyone else barely managed to stay on their feet. No one more for a moment. We were stunned.

"What the hell was that?!" I demanded.

Suddenly, there was a loud, static-y sound shrieking from one of the walkie talkies attached to one of the grunts' belts. He picked it up, and pressed the button, and a very familiar voice blared for all of us to hear.

"I need back up immediately!" said the very stressed voice of Altan Marun. "There's a tyranitar here, and it's going berserk! I don't think I can subdue it myself! It's-"

Suddenly, a furious roar blasted from the walkie talkie, and we could even hear it in the distance. The bridge shook again, and I had to grip the rail not to fall down. The walkie talkie fell out of the grunt's hand, and smashed to bits on the ground. Diana rolled back onto her feet, and crawled back over to me. Since the bridge seemed steady, I pushing myself back up, and Diana starting crawling up my leg, nearly making me jump out of my skin.

"Is everyone okay?" Marina asked, looking at all of us.

"Y-Yeah..." Galena breathed, looking a little shaken. "D-Did you hear that?!"

"No, I totally did not just hear a roar blast my ear drums," Zircon deadpan. "Of course we did!"

"Oh, shush, Zircy!" she snapped, but she didn't seem mad.

"I hope Altan's all right..." Gio said softly. "He specializes in Fire types, so if that's really a tyranitar he's in major trouble!"

Diana finally crawled all the way up to my shoulder. "Well, even if he's Team Rocket, we gotta help him!" I said.

Pyrite nodded in agreement. "Right. We better hurry, then!"

"Gotta finish these grunts off first," Marina said, before pointing towards them. "Starmie, get them out of the way with Psychic!"

The red gem in the center of the starmie began to glow, and suddenly all of the men and the pokemon were outlined with red. I watched as every single one of them was lifted up into the air, and hurled into the water to the left of the bridge, behind me. There was a loud splash, and I was sprayed with some water.

"All right! If it comes down to it, let me handle the tyranitar!" Marina told us. "Let's hurry!"

Everyone returned their pokemon except for me, Ry, and Marina. Dodge's group would remain here, as planned. We ran off the bridge, hurrying down the path that led through some trees, which would finally lead us to the cape.

Suddenly, as we rounded a corner, a pidgey burst out of a tree, nearly right in my face. I admit it, I yelped a little, stumbling back into Gio. Diana spat some silk at the bird, using String Shot, and then leaped off my shoulder to slam into the wild pokemon. She finished it off once it had fallen to the ground.

"A-Amber, are you okay?" Gio asked, his silver eyes wide a little; I had bumped into him, after all.

"...I-I'm fine..." I sighed, taking a deep breath, stepping away from him. "Thanks, Diana."

"Nice," Zircon said with a smirk.

"S-Shut up!"

"Guys, look!" Galena exclaimed, pointing to the caterpie on the ground. "Diana's evolving!"

I looked down at my pokemon to see her whole body shuddering. She squeezed her eyes shut as her body began to glow, and then change shape. I watched, a grin forming on my face, as Diana evolved into a metapod. Awesome! She was one step closer to being a butterfree!

"Great job, Diana!" I exclaimed happily, dropping down to hug my newly evolved metapod.

She made a happy buzzing sound.

"...You can't do much with a metapod," Marina said with a frown after I had stood up. "But hopefully she'll evolve before that. Let's go."

We set off again, but not before another angry roar sounded. I had to pick up Diana and hold her under my arm since she couldn't walk easily anymore. She was a little heavy, but nothing I couldn't handle. We picked up our pace, finally bursting out of the trees, out into the open cape.

I recognized Altan immediately. He was the red-headed admin, the one who said he was Aunt Sapph and Maroon's son. So he was my cousin. He had a charizard out, and it was facing a very angry looking tyranitar. The pokemon was _huge_, bigger than I thought was possible for its species.

Gio ran ahead a little, and then stopped. "Altan!" he called.

Altan looked behind him, at us, his red eyes widening when he saw us. "Gio! What are you doing here?!"

"We're here to help you!" Marina said, catching his attention. She walked past us all, her starmie by her side. "Team Rocket member or not, it would be improper for me as the Gym leader of Cerulean not to lend a hand!"

Altan's regular expression only lasted for a moment because he saw her. His eyes widened again, and I swear he got a little red. But then he quickly recovered. The guy had a grip on himself.

"So you're Marina, then?" he asked, and she nodded. "I'm Altan, admin of Team Rocket!"

It was Marina's turn to be surprised. "Admin? You sure don't look like an admin."

"Ha ha," he laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. "What's an admin supposed to look like?"

Marina opened her mouth to respond, but the tyranitar suddenly snarled. It lunged forward, towards Altan. His charizard tried to stop it, slamming into it, but he was tossed aside like a doll.

"Altan, look out!" Gio shouted, frightened.

Diana began to squirm out of my arm. I was forced to let her go. Somehow, she managed to hurl her body in front of the tyranitar. But before I could make a sound, the raging pokemon tripped over her, slamming face first into the ground as Altan ran out of the way, going to his fallen charizard.

"Diana!" I cried, taking a step forward, but someone grabbed me by the arm, stopping me.

"Amber, no!" Pyrite exclaimed, pulling me back. "It's too dangerous!"

"But Diana's out there!" I exclaimed with frustration, pulling against his grip. "She's in trouble! I have to help her!

"I know!" he said, using a gentler tone. "But if you go out there, you'll be hurt too!"

"Marina, do something!" Galena cried with fright as the tyranitar began to stand up again.

"...R-Right!" Marina exclaimed. "Starmie! Hydro Pump!"

"No!" I screamed, pulling against Pyrite again, forcing him to hold me back by the waist. "You'll hurt Diana!"

But the starmie leaped into the air, ready to execute the move. I tried to pull away from Pyrite, but he was too strong.

"Amber, calm down!" he told me. "It'll be okay!"

"No it won't!" I cried, tears filling my eyes. "There's no way Diana can stand being hit by that monster _and_ Marina's Starmie!"

I... I had only been a trainer for a few days and I was already going to lose a pokemon.

Zircon was right. I had no talent. I was pathetic. I didn't deserve any of my pokemon.

Water blasted out of the starmie's red gem, slamming into the tyranitar. I gave up, nearly letting my knees give way. The tyranitar roared in pain, and fell backwards. The ground shook as its body hit the ground. It didn't move. I heard something slap shut.

"...It's out cold," I heard Zircon said; he must have taken out his Pokedex.

Pyrite let me go, and I nearly fell down. I bolted up to where my metapod lay. I dropped down to my knees and picked her up. I clutched her to my chest, the tears finally slipping from my eyes.

"D-Diana..." I sobbed, squeezed her tight. "I-I'm so sorry... I... I'm a terrible trainer!"

There was no response. Oh my Arceus, she was really dead, wasn't she? It was too late to even try to heal?!

She was dead because I just wanted to train her to prove to Zircon he was wrong... It was all my fault.

"I'M SO SORRYYYYYY!" I wailed, keeling over.

But then something happened.

I felt a small shudder. And then another. And another. I sat back up, lifting one of my hands to wipe away the tears from my eyes. I looked down at Diana's listless body as it began to tremble, and then... glow.

W-What...?

I watched, absolutely stunned, as the metapod cracked open, and slowly, but surely, a butterfree removed itself from the dead shell. I stared, my eyes wide, as Diana unfurled her wrinkled wings, flying up into the air above me. My jaw dropped and I couldn't breathe.

Diana grinned down at me as she flapped her new wings, and then she winked of all things. _"You can't get rid of me that easy, Trainer."_

I just stared.

_"I got the experience points thanks to Starmie and I evolved! Evolving saved me!"_ she cried, flapping her wings harder, going higher into the air. _"Thank you, Starmie!"_

I finally realized what had just happened.

"Diana!" I cried, leaping up to my feet. She let out a happy cry, and flew back down to me. I threw my arms around her and hugged her tight. "T-Thanks Arceus!"

_"Hee hee!"_ she giggled.

She pulled away, and I slowly turned around to face my friends. I awkwardly rubbed the back of my head.

"Uh... E-Everything's okay..."

"...Obviously," Zircon deadpanned. "You overreact as always."

I felt my cheeks flush with embarrassment. "S-Shut up!"

"Lay off, Zircon," Pyrite snapped at him. "She just thought her pokemon died. Give her a break. Arceus."

"Yeah!" Gio agreed, also coming to my defense.

Marina sighed heavily. "What a day. I'm relieved everyone is okay." She then turned to where Altan had been, and gasped. "He's gone!"

"Of course he is," Zircon said. "If I were a Team Rocket admin, I'd get away when I had the chance too."

"I hope he's okay," Gio sighed.

"I'm sure he's fine, Gio!" Galena chirped reassuringly. "He didn't get hurt! And charizard are tough!"

"Yeah..." He didn't sound or look so sure.

"Well, everyone, we should go find the others and then go back to the Gym," Marina said, taking a poke ball out of her jacket to return her starmie.

"Why the Gym?" Pyrite asked.

"You seem to know some things about Team Rocket," she said. "I'd like to ask you some questions, if you don't mind."

"We don't know much, but sure!" Galena agreed.

Marina grinned. "All right, lunch's on me!"

"Food just made everything better!" I said with a wide grin.

Pyrite laughed, and smiled again. "Come on, Ambs."

I trotted back up to everyone else, Diana following me, and we all set off back to the Golden Bridge. I highly doubted I would get to challenge Marina today, but that was okay. I was just glad my team was still intact.

And... I had a lot of thinking to do.

* * *

><p><strong>DOES THIS MAKE UP FOR THE WAIT<strong>

**IT BETTER**

**Man, a lot happened**

**It's late, so I don't have much to say**

**WE'RE FINALLY GETTING TO THE GOOD STUFF**

**I'll have a big message regarding the trilogy coming up next chapter, which will be sooner rather than later!**

**REVIEWS ARE LOVE**


	11. 10: Starmie of the Show

**EVERMORE**

**~Sequel Of The Forever Trilogy~**

**Chapter 10**

**Starmie of the Show**

_Sunday, August 22, 5018._

_(Amber's POV)_

Yesterday had been crazy. I had nearly lost one of my pokemon, and now, thanks to wonderful b**tard Zircon Oak, I was now questioning my ability as a trainer. Nearly losing Diana was making me wonder if I really had any potential at all. I couldn't fall asleep because of everything I was thinking about, and now I was groggy, which wasn't good for a Gym battle.

I was sitting with my friends in the cafeteria section of the Pokemon Center. Galena was chatting away with Carnelian as we all ate breakfast. Dodge, Denver, and Bronze would input from time to time. Pyrite and Gio were quieter, and Zircon had left earlier this morning.

Me? I didn't have any appetite. I was too tired and still a bit drained from yesterday. I was sitting next to the wall, with Gio next to me and Pyrite across from me. I had fed all my pokemon earlier, so Juno was tucked away in her poke ball.

"Amber..." I looked up at Pyrite, who had spoken to me. "Are you okay?"

I shook my head.

"You need to eat something," he told me.

"I'm not hungry," I muttered. "What are you, my mother?"

Gio snickered a little as Pyrite gave me an irritated look. I was sort of relieved that he ignored Gio; I really did not want to deal with them right now. I didn't really want to deal with anything, to be honest.

"Excuse me for caring," was his response. "You have to be at your best to win a Gym battle, and at this rate you're doomed."

"Maybe I don't want to have a stupid Gym battle or any battle for that matter," I said haltingly, slouching forward.

Everyone stopped whatever they were doing to stare at me. Dodge even paused in mid bite. They all stared at me like I was crazy or something. I stiffened, but did not sit up straight.

"What?" I snapped defensively.

"Amber..." Dodge said slowly and surely, lowering his fork. "Are you feeling all right?"

That was _it_.

"NO!" I yelled, slamming my hands down on the table so hard it shook, rattling the dishes, making everyone flinch or jump, standing up. "I am _not_ f*cking okay. Why in the _f*cking d*mned_ world would I be okay? Where _were_ you yesterday? Did you not see what f*cking _happened_?! And you think I'm _OKAY_?!"

Everyone just continued to stare at me.

"My pokemon nearly f*cking _died_," I said coldly. "And you think I'm not _bothered_? Do you really think I'm that f*cking _heartless_?"

Silence.

Why did I even bother?

I turned to face the rest of the people sitting on my side of the booth. "Let me through."

Everyone hastily shifted down the booth, getting out. I slid down, and then got out. No one stopped me from leaving. I just wanted to get away from all of them. How could they understand me when I couldn't even understand me myself?

I left the Pokemon Center with no real destination in mind. This was Cerulean City, not Pallet Town. I was far away from home, far away from my family. I doubted even my own family could understand me, though.

I sat down on a bench once I had walked away far enough, throwing my bag down next to me rather roughly. I slouched forward as I heard the sound of one of my poke balls releasing a pokemon. Juno pushed her way out of the bag, hopping out. She gave me a confused look, tilting her head to the side a little.

_"What's wrong?"_ she asked me.

"...You remembered what I told everyone last night, right?" I said stiffly. "I don't know if I want to battle anymore..."

The pikachu's eyes widened with shock. _"What?! You can't just give up!"_

"Watch me," I mumbled.

Juno let out an angry growl, and suddenly leaped up on me, forcing me to sit up straight. She glared up at me fiercely.

_"We all like battling! You're just gonna stop because of a freak accident?! Amber, this isn't you! You aren't thinking straight!"_

"I don't want to lose a teammate because of battling..." I muttered. "And who says everyone on the team likes battling...?"

Juno sighed heavily, before scowling at me. _"Then why don't you ask them, silly? If we all want to battle, you shouldn't stop us just because you're scared. Normal battles aren't like that! We aren't in war like Daddy and Mama were... We're not going to get hurt like them. It'll be okay, Amber!"_

I sighed next. "Fine, whatever." She leaped off my lap, landing onto the ground, as I reached for my bag. I opened it, and took out the three other poke balls inside. I released Jupiter, Mars, and Diana.

The shiny charmeleon blinked blearily, like he had been sleeping and I had woken him up. Mars just grinned, thrilled as always to be out of his poke ball. Diana fluttered her wings calmly, but she looked happy.

_"What's up, Boss?"_ Mars asked.

...I still had no idea why he kept on calling me that.

I looked at my pokemon, and sighed. "You guys don't want to battle anymore, do you? Not after what happened yesterday..."

Mars snapped his teeth together in shock. _"What?! Are ya nuts?! I freakin' love battlin'! There's no way I'd stop!"_

Jupiter crossed his arms over his chest. _"I have to agree with him. We all love to battle. There is no point in giving up something we love, just because of an accident. I highly doubt anything like that will ever happen again."_

_"Yeah, Trainer!"_ Diana agreed with a nod. _"Everything will be okay, I promise. There's no need to worry."_

I looked down at them, still a bit skeptical. "You... really want to keep on going...?"

_"Hell yeah, man!"_ Mars exclaimed, grinning wide. _"I know I have lots of fun battlin'! We all do, right?!"_

_"Yes, of course,"_ Diana agreed, fluttering her wings calmly as ever. _"Please don't worry, Trainer."_

_"We must become stronger so it will be more difficult for us to be harmed like Diana was yesterday,"_ Jupiter said seriously. _"That is why we must never give up."_

_"Exactly!"_ Juno exclaimed before looking up at me. "_See, Amber? Everyone wants to continue. You're not gonna give up on us, are you? That's not the Amber Rosso-Senri I know!"_

She was right... I was letting this get to me too much! I couldn't give up... not with Zircon as my rival! I had to prove to him that he was wrong! If I quit, I would just be doing exactly what he wanted!

I pushed myself up off the bench, and looked down at them. "You're right! I'm sorry guys... I guess I just got discouraged. Oak didn't exactly help either."

Juno leaped up onto the bench, and then up onto my shoulder. _"That's Zircon for you! He's just a big 'ol meanie! Don't listen to him!"_

I laughed, and reached up to scratch her behind her ear. "Yeah, I shouldn't listen to him. He's just trying to break us down!"

_"So we are still battling, yes?"_ Jupiter asked, looking up at me.

"Hell yeah!" I exclaimed. "Well, you probably won't be battling today since this is a Water-type Gym... But overall, yeah!"

_"Yesssss!"_ Mars cheered, swishing his tail back and forth excitedly. _"This is gonna be awesome!"_

_"Thank you, Trainer!"_ Diana cried.

I grinned at them. "All right! Let's, uh, go back to the Pokemon Center and... apologize to everyone." The last bit came out as a grumble. "Being nice is a pain in the a**. Ugh."

Juno snickered on my shoulder as I grumbled, and then I returned everyone to their poke balls. Today was going to be another long day...

* * *

><p><em>(Indigo's POV)<em>

It all started years ago. Fourteen to be exact.

Crimson and I had gotten married a year earlier, and we had been back in our proper time for several years. Due to our parents insisting, everything that happened to us with our siblings and friends was to be kept a secret from the younger kids. Crim and I hated it, but for Perla and Argent, it was much easier. Especially for Perla. Even after she and Argent finally came back, she was plagued with nightmares from everything we had suffered.

It took a while to adjust, but we managed. We moved on with our lives. When Crim turned twenty, Red handed over the Indigo League Championship to him. It was a huge responsibility, but Red believed he had what it took. As the Champion of the Indigo League, he was now in charge of both Kanto _and_ Johto. It took a lot of his time, but he managed. Though... it did put a strain on our relationship.

It was tough the first few years, considering I had almost no one to talk about what we had gone through. Argent wasn't much of a talker, and that was the one thing Perla absolutely _refused_ to talk about. And, of course, Crim was too busy. I no longer had Navy around to chill with, either, and he had become a good friend of mine. Eventually, my parents convinced me to reopen the Viridian Gym, so I had something else to do.

Like I already said, a year before all of this insanity started, Crim and I got married. I had been pretty surprised when he proposed to me, but I happily accepted. This led to my dad threatening him some more, but Crim took it with a grain of salt. Finally, I felt like I could put the past behind me and move on with my life. But, of course, Crim still was very busy with his Champion work. My job as a Gym leader wasn't very active, considering I was the last leader in the Kanto circuit and not everyone made it that far. So I was often bored.

The last peaceful day we had together before things starting to get chaotic was Valentine's Day.

...

_February 14, 2042._

It was Wednesday, the day smack dab in the middle of the week. I decided to keep the Gym closed for the day. I didn't expect Crim to do anything. I mean, he was busy with his Champion work. I didn't want to be a burden to him. He was stressed out enough as it was, with everything he had to do. I usually only saw him at night, when he got home. He was always exhausted and went straight to bed.

I was concerned for his well being. I mean, Uncle Red never got that tired when he was the Champion. Something was going on that he wasn't telling me.

So, I was lounging on the couch in our house, sipping hot chocolate, wearing sweats. My hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail. I was bored out of my mind, and the only thing on television were sappy romances.

I took one last sip of my hot chocolate, before dragging myself up off the couch to trudge to the kitchen to put the mug in the sink. I was surprised to hear the front door open.

"Indi!" I heard my husband call. "You home?!"

Crimson... came home? He came home for Valentine's Day? I... couldn't believe it.

I walked from the kitchen into the hall that led to the front door, and there he stood, still in his winter coat and scarf. He was holding a bouquet of red roses, and a box of chocolate. It was typical of the holiday, but the fact that he took the day off from the job he loved so much, and still got up early so he could get these things just for me... It meant a lot.

"Crim..." I couldn't even say anything.

"Hey, Indi!" he greeted me cheerily, flashing a smile. "I got these for you-"

He couldn't even finish his sentence because I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him. He had to take a step back so he could take my weight. He put his arms around me, still holding his gifts as he kissed me back gently. I pulled back, and smiled at him.

"I just need you, Crim," I told him, my voice a bit breathy. "You didn't have to get me anything... Just being with you is a gift in itself." I pulled all the way away from him. "C'mon, I can't eat all this chocolate by myself!"

But he snagged me by the hand, pulling me back a bit. "Forget the chocolate. It can wait."

Oh? His crimson eyes told me exactly what he had in mind. His expression sent shivers down my spine. And, well, I didn't mind at all. Actually, it would be nice...

...The Kimus really have rubbed off on us.

"Well," I said lightly. "In that case..." I pulled my hand out of his grip. "You'll have to catch me!"

...You can figure out what happened next.

After we were done, we stayed in bed for a while, just snuggling. I missed being this close to him and him actually being aware of it. I mean, yeah, we slept in the same bed, but it didn't seem to mean us much when he was asleep and he didn't know.

"Indi..." Crim murmured, making me look up at him.

"Yeah...?" I said slowly, wondering if something was wrong.

"I'm... sorry."

I jerked away from him, startled. The chill of the room stung at my bare skin, so I pulled the sheet up around me as I sat up. I had no idea what he was apologizing for. He hadn't done anything wrong!

"What? Why?" I gasped, looking down at him in confusion.

He sighed heavily, and sat up straight, running a hand through his tousled hair. "Just... for not being there for you. I'm so busy all the time... Stuff's happening... But that's no excuse for being a lousy husband."

"Crim... You're not a lousy husband!" I insisted. "It's okay..."

"No, it's not," he grumbled. "I don't deserve any of this! I left you out here dealing with the crap from the war without any support just so I could fulfill my stupid dream to be the Champion! And then I come back here out of the blue, and we... you know... and that's just not okay!"

"Crim..."

"I'm... I'm going to be a better husband from now on!" he declared adamantly. "I'm gonna be there for you, Indi. I promise."

Our eyes met, and I could tell he was being serious. "Crim... I..."

"Indi, it'll be okay," he reassured me, reaching out to tuck some of my hair behind my ear. "We're a team. We always have been, always will be. You're way more important than my job. I love you."

A soft smile formed on my lips. "I love you too, Crim. Thank you..."

He cracked me a smile, though it sobered. "Things are getting rough now... And I'm going to need you by my side, Indi. It can only be you."

"I will always be by your side, Crim. _Always_."

...

_March 20, 2042._

I had just stepped out of the Gym, locking it up for lunch, when my Pokegear rang. I pulled it out of my bag, and flipped it open. I was surprised to see it was Crim who was calling me. He usually never called me when he was working. He was always busy, after all.

"Hey," I said, answering the phone. "Is everything okay?"

_"Hey Indi!"_ he greeted me, sounding cheerful. _"Yeah, everything's fine. I actually can take a breather, it's so weird! Anyways, I thought we could have lunch together or something. You're free, right?"_

"Of course I am!" I said, absolutely thrilled; it had been forever since Crim and I had actually been able to sit down and have a meal together. "Where do you want to go?"

"Where do _you_ want to go?" he countered.

I laughed. "Well, I don't really care. Anywhere is fine."

_"C'mon, Indi, just make up your mind!"_ he said with a light laugh.

"Okay, okay," I said, thinking for a moment. "Um, how about the Sunnyside Cafe?"

Though it was a cafe, it served lunch as well. It had been a favorite place of mine to go with my friends... back when things were more... normal. Back before we knew the truth about our families.

_"Sounds good!"_ he said, much to my relief. _"I'll see you soon!"_

"Okay," I said, smiling to myself. "See you."

It only took me a few minutes to get to the Sunnyside Cafe. I decided to go inside and wait for Crim. I claimed us a table at the back of the room, in a more secluded area. We were bound to attract attention; I was a Gym leader, and he was the Indigo League Champion. So, the farther away we were from everyone else, the better.

A few minutes later, Crim arrived. His appearance, of course, attracted attention, but he managed to find me without much of a problem. He smiled at me as he took off his coat, and I couldn't help but return the gesture.

"Hey," he greeted me, sitting down. "How're you doing today?"

"Fine, I guess," I answered. "I haven't had any challengers... You?"

"Same," he sighed. "It gets really boring when you don't have to deal with politics."

I let out a light laugh. "Well, at least you're freer."

"Yeah... But I wonder how long that'll last." He sighed again. "But never mind that! This is on me!"

What was going on...? I doubted he would tell me here and now, but I needed to know. Not just because I was his wife, but because I was a Gym leader, too. If something was happening, it would affect me as well as him.

"Well, if you insist," I said, trying to keep the mood light; serious topics could wait.

However, our date barely had even lasted a few minutes when Crim's pokegear rang, startling the both of us. The look on my husband's face was clearly agitated, and a bit frustrated. I couldn't really blame him.

"...I have to take it," he sighed heavily, reaching down to pull the device out of his pocket. "What is it?" was his greeting to whoever was calling him.

I shifted in my seat, wondering what was so important that they had to call him during his lunch break. Seriously, this was what was dragging us down. It was like Crimson nearly had no freedom anymore. That wasn't what being Champion was supposed to be like.

Crim's eyes suddenly widened. "What?! Are you _serious_?!" Silence for a bit. "...It's that serious? All right, all right, I'll see what I can do. I'll be there soon. Bye." He hung up and returned the pokegear to his pocket.

"...You have to go," I stated softly.

"...Yeah," he sighed, disappointment in his eyes. "Something's going on down in Celadon and I'm needed apparently. Something about 'the Syndicate'?" He shrugged, and then gave me a sad look. "I'm so sorry, Indi... I'll make it up to you, I promise!"

"It's fine, Crim," I sighed. "Just... be careful, okay?"

He flashed me a smile, a lame attempt to make me feel better. "I always am. See you tonight." He gave me a quick kiss on the forehead, and then left.

I sat in silence for a few moments. I had been so looking forward to spending time with my husband, only to have him taken away from me again. Because something was going on. Something that had to do with this 'Syndicate'.

I pushed myself up out of my chair, standing up. I grabbed my coat, and pulled it on. I left without getting anything, my appetite having vanished. I headed back to the Gym, letting the day drag on. I was relieved when I could go home.

Once I was inside our house, I turned up the heat and took off my coat and shoes. I paused at the calender to check if I had anything important things coming up. March would be coming to a close soon. My eyes scanned over the remaining dates.

Wait a second...

Something was missing.

A frown formed on my lips as I tried to remember what I was forgetting; it was something important, I could tell that much. But what...?

...Oh.

I... had skipped my period.

...Crap.

I had been so busy I hadn't even noticed. This could just be my body acting weird and playing tricks on me, or I could be... pregnant. I... wasn't sure what I preferred. I ran a hand through my spiky hair, and then walked over to the couch and sat down.

I mean, I was twenty-four years old, turning twenty-five at the end of the year. That was a good age to start a family, wasn't it? I did want kids someday. But was now really a good time...? Well, if I was pregnant now I didn't really have a choice.

"Why do things like this always happen at the wrong time," I grumbled to myself, rubbing my temples. "Arceus."

The day dragged on. Crim ended up coming home late as usual, and went straight to bed. He was too exhausted to talk. I had stayed up waiting for him, to make sure he was okay, so I joined him.

Our peace was finally starting to end...

...

_May 13, 2042._

I turned out to be pregnant after all. And that fact turned our world upside down even more. Crim, of course, freaked when I told him. First he was freaked out, and then he was excited about it. And the excitement was contagious.

That is, until my dear dad sucked the joy right out of it.

I had waited to tell my family the longest because I was kind of dreading it. Mom would be thrilled, of course; that was how she was. Cobalt would tease and annoy the crap out of me about it. Larimar would gush on end about finally getting to be an aunt. And Dad...

"You're _what_?" he deadpanned, not sounding pleased at all.

I had taken a day off from the Gym to visit him in the lab; we still lived in Pallet Town like the rest of the Kanto Dex holders, but I wanted to take my time with my family. I had already told my mother and siblings, saving my father for last. He was sitting at his desk, facing me; I was standing in front of the desk.

"...I'm pregnant, Dad," I sighed heavily, knowing that this was how he was going to react.

"That boy did _what_ to you?"

"Dad," I groaned. "We've been married for two years now. It's perfectly normal. And would you call him by his name already? Arceus, it's not the end of the world. Aren't you happy for me?"

"I'd be happy for you if the father wasn't Red's spawn," he deadpanned.

I slapped my forehead. "Dad! _Seriously_? Crim will be an amazing father."

"Hmph," he snorted, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. "With all the chaos going on with this Syndicate issue, I highly doubt he will have the time to be one, Indi. He's a busy boy right now. I wouldn't get your hopes too high."

The sad thing was, I knew he was right. Last month, after that one issue that took Crim away from our lunch date, the situation had escalated. We now knew there were Syndicate factions in every major city in Kanto, and probably in Johto, too. We even had Intel that someone they had captured some of the legendaries. There was an attack somewhere nearly every day; there was no place in the city that was safe, not even Pallet Town.

He saw the dejected look on my face, and his hard expression softened. "I only want the best for you, Indi. Please remember that."

I sighed again, closing my eyes for a moment. "I know, Dad... I just... want to think positively. Because... I'm only used to bad things happening. If I don't believe things will be okay... I can't handle it."

It was true. All of it was true. Because of what the war in the future did to us. I watched all my friends be destroyed—both emotionally and physically. I did not want to repeat that experience.

"...I'm always here for you, Indi," Dad told me. "I know your mother is, too. Cobalt... probably. Larimar, too. We're your family. We'll always be there for you."

I cracked him a sad smile. "Thanks, Dad."

Just then, my pokegear rang. I took it out of my purse, and checked to see who was calling. It was, what a surprise, Crim. He had been calling me a lot lately to check up on me. I was barely three months in and he was already worried sick about me. Arceus.

"Let me guess," he deadpanned. "That boy?"

I sighed. "Yes, Dad, it's _Crim_." I answered it. "Crimson, you do _not_ have to call me every single hour, you know?"

_"Indi! I know, I know, I just can't help worrying about you..."_ was his reply.

I sighed again. "I'm pregnant, not helpless. I can take care of myself."

_"Well, I'd feel a lot better if there was someone around to help you,"_ he said. _"Since I can't be around as much as I'd like..."_

"...Would you stop calling me so much if I did?" I asked.

_"Yes!"_

Well, that settled it.

...

_June 10, 2042._

"Soooo, what are we doing today?!"

"...Shopping."

Guess who volunteered to be my persona assistant? None other than Perla Berlitz-Palmer. I wasn't surprised at all; we had, after all, bonded during our time in the future. She was probably the closest female friend I had here in the past, if I didn't count my sister.

Perla now was seventeen years old, not quite eighteen yet. Her jet black hair went down to just below her shoulders, and instead of the childish mini ponytails she used to wear, it was done with pink hair decs. Her bright orange eyes were as excited as they used to be; they were calmer, but still friendly. The joy that Perla used to carry herself about with was long gone.

"Ooooh, I love shopping!" Perla cheered, clapping her hands together. "What for?!"

"I need new clothes," I sighed.

This was the fourth month, and that meant I had started to show. It was pretty obvious I was pregnant now. There was no hiding anymore. The press was going insane that the Champion's wife—and a Gym leader—was with child. I had to keep a pokemon out constantly—I chose Scythe most of the time—to keep the pesky paparazzi away. Perla pitched in with her empoleon now that she was with me.

Anyways, I needed to start investing in some maternity clothes. I wasn't that big now, but I would be, and I was already larger than most women because of my height. I hated shopping, but I had to get this done.

"Ooooh, can I pick you out some?!" Perla asked me excitedly.

"...Sure. Just... nothing too flashy."

"Got it!" she exclaimed, getting so close to how she used to be. "This is gonna be so much fun!"

At least one of us would enjoy this.

I finished locking up the Gym, and turned around to face my friend. Both of our pokemon were out, ready to deter any annoying people. I adjusted my high ponytail, and then set off with Perla, Scythe, and Empola—that was what she had renamed Pippa to fit her better.

But, of course, nothing would go right.

Barely had we taken a few steps away from the Gym when something happened. Suddenly, I felt the ground begin to tremble beneath my feet. I frowned, pausing. Perla stopped too, as did the pokemon.

"What's-" Perla began, but was cut off.

The ground in front of us exploded, throwing rocks and dirt everywhere. I was thrown back, and I heard Perla scream. I hit the ground hard on my back, and I was so stunned I couldn't move for a few moments. I coughed, trying to get the dust and dirt out of my lungs.

I managed to sit up, still coughing. I covered my mouth and nose with my arm, trying to clear the air so I could breathe properly. My other hand went to my stomach as a pang of pain shot through it; the doctor said that was normal, to feel pain sometimes, but sometimes I wondered.

"Perla!" I called, still coughing. "Are you okay?!"

I really hoped she wasn't hurt. She was also pretty scared of exploding stuff after something she experienced in the future. She could possibly have a panic attack if she got freaked out enough.

"Perla!" I shouted through my coughs as I saw Scythe come to my side.

I reached up to grip one of his claws, and he help me onto my feet. I coughed one last time, and stood up straight to look around. The dirt and dust finally cleared, revealing a gigantic golden onix looming above all of us, sneering menacingly. Perla was sitting on the ground, her legs splayed out in front of her, staring up at the rock snake in front of her. Her empoleon had been hit hard by a piece of debris, which was holding her down.

She screamed again.

"Scythe!" I shouted. "Hurry, use-"

But suddenly, a blast of water appeared out of nowhere, hitting the golden onix right on the back. It roared in pain, just making Perla screamed louder. The rock snake began to collapse. Scythe, getting my unsaid command, leaped forward to snatch the girl out of the way before she was crushed.

The ruptured ground shook as the onix slammed back into the earth. Scythe carried a hysterical Perla over to where I stood, and set her down onto the ground. I opened my mouth to say something, but was interrupted by whoever saved us.

"INDI!"

"Perla!"

Crim suddenly appeared by my side, and then Argent was in front of me, crouching down in front of his girlfriend.

"Indi!" he exclaimed, gently shaking me by my shoulders. "Are you okay?!"

"...Y-Yeah," I answered, snapping out of my daze. "I-I'm fine..."

"Thank Arceus," he breathed, relief flooding his eyes, and he pulled me into his embrace. "Argent and I were just coming down here when it happened. Thank Arceus we were nearby!"

I put my arms around him and hugged him back, pressing my face into his shoulder. I could hear Perla in hysterics, and Argent trying to calm her down with soothing words. That had been... too reminiscent of our days in the war for my liking.

"Shhh, Perla, it's okay, it's over, I've got you," Argent was saying; I lifted my head up to see him holding her, and she was crying into his shoulder. "Nothing will happen to you. I... won't let anything hurt you."

Argentum Sakaki had changed a lot these past few years. He was more open; he talked a lot more. He showed he cared a lot more. I was pretty sure Perla might have not gotten through her problems so well without him. He wore his bright crimson hair shorter, though similarly styled from all those years ago. His silver eyes weren't colder... just... harder.

Crim pulled away from me a bit, and placed his hand on my rounding abdomen. "...How's the baby?" he asked me.

"...Fine," I said, which was a relief. "Nothing hit me, and I landed on my back."

He looked even more relieved. "Thank Arceus," he sighed.

We stepped away from each other, turning our attention to Argent and Perla. She seemed to be calming down now that Argent was holding her and talking to her. Now that that was settled, we turned our attention to the fallen golden onix.

"...What the hell was that about?" Crim demanded. "Did it just appear out of nowhere?"

I nodded. "Yeah. It just burst out from underground."

Crim frowned, his eyes narrowing. "Sounds like an attack from the Syndicate to me."

I gasped, my eyes widening. "Are you serious?!"

He looked at me and nodded grimly. "Yes. This is how the attacks have been recently. I assume they were directly lashing out at you... because you're my wife. They're trying to get at me..." He sighed and rubbed his eyes. "By hurting you and our unborn child. How low can you get?!"

He was starting to get fired up now. He had been getting a better grip on his temper, but this was something to get ticked off about.

"I don't even think _Synis_ would stoop to that level! He would just attack me directly!" he growled with building fury. "What cowardly b**tards!"

"...It could be worse," I told him quietly. "We could have gotten hurt."

"Yeah, but still!"

Argent helped pull Perla up onto her feet. The girl was still a bit shaky, and her dress was smeared with dirt. She was still trembling, sniveling as she tried to stop crying. Argent put his arm around her shoulders to help steady her.

"Argent, take her back to the house," I told him. "Crim and I will handle things here. The cops are coming."

He nodded solemnly. "Understood. Come on, Perla."

"O-Okay..." she stammered as he removed his arm from her shoulders to take her hand, and then led her away.

This was only just the beginning.

...

_July 19, 2042._

Today was actually going to be a good day.

Why?

Because Crim was taking the whole day off, the first Sunday he had managed to be free for the whole day in a long time. I always kept the Gym closed on Sundays, so it was perfect. Finally, we could relax and enjoy each others company in peace. And besides, we had some things to discuss. Perla was out with Argent so we could be alone.

I was sitting on the couch, eating one of the many meals I had throughout the day. It was more comfortable to sit on the cushioned couch instead of at the dining table. Crim had somehow managed to cook without turning the food and our kitchen into a disaster zone. And it was actually quite good.

Crim reappeared, leaving the kitchen after cleaning up; he would be eating lunch later. He sat down next to me, looking a little nervous.

"How is it...?" he asked warily.

I finished chewing, and swallowed. I stayed quiet for a moment, letting him get even more nervous for a bit. I couldn't help but laugh a little before replying.

"It's great, Crim!" I told him, smiling. "You've outdone yourself!"

He let out a sigh of relief, and rubbed the back of his head. "Thank Arceus. I finally did it!"

I laughed lightly again, and then continued to eat the food he had prepared for me. We talked as I ate; it was so nice... It was almost like old times. It was nostalgic, I guess, just being together like this. It made me feel... normal again. And that was a nice feeling, no matter how long it would last.

Crim took my plate from me when I was done, and returned it to the kitchen. He sat back down next to me as I readjusted my position on the couch, trying to get more comfortable. Right as I was moving, I felt a tiny kick come from inside me.

Even though it wasn't the first time our baby had moved, it still freaked me out a bit. It was like reality was finally setting in; we were going to be parents. This really was happening. And knowing our baby's gender made it even more real, too—it was a boy.

"Crim!" I gasped, freezing up a bit.

"What?!" he demanded, his expression turning concerned.

"It... I mean he... moved again," I said, my eyes wide.

Crim's red eyes grew wide as well. "R-Really...?"

"Yeah..." I thought for a moment. "Didn't... Didn't Doc say you should try talking to him...?"

He nodded slowly. "Yeah, but will he really hear...?"

"...Larimar reacted when Mom was pregnant with her," I said thoughtfully, trying to think back. "What about Orange...?"

"I wasn't around to try," he said dryly. "Well, I guess it couldn't hurt..."

Just then, I felt more movement inside me. I quickly reached out to grab Crim's hand, and pressed it up against my swelling stomach. Our baby moved again, kicking out against where I had placed Crim's hand. His eyes widened again when he felt our child's movement. I grinned at him, and he grinned back.

"He must hear us," I said. "That's why he's getting so lively..."

"We should... give him a name," Crimson told me. "I mean, we can't keep calling him "he" and "him" and "baby" or even "spawn" like your dad's been saying."

"...Right," I agreed; I seriously needed to talk to my dad about that. "Um... Names... I'm not very good with them..."

"Me either," he sighed. He grew quiet for a moment, his brow furrowing as he though. "Hm... What about Garnet? Or is that too girly...?"

"That's perfect!" I cried, jerking upward, startling him. "You're brilliant, Crim!" I threw my arms around him and hugged him.

"O-Oh, really?" he asked, surprised, putting his arms around me awkwardly. "Awesome! Garnet Rosso... I like it!"

I laughed happily, pulling myself closer to him so I could sit on his lap. He was a bit surprised, but he didn't stop me. I leaned forward to kiss him, but my protruding belly was between us made me pull up short. Crim chuckled at my predicament, but reached forward to press his lips to mine.

"It's not funny," I grumbled when we broke apart, which only made him laugh some more.

"Yes it is," he snickered.

I felt Garnet shift inside me. "Gar doesn't like you laughing at his mommy," I said indignantly.

"...'Gar'?" he echoed, raising an eyebrow.

"...That's his nickname," I retorted defensively.

He chuckled again. "I figured... Hey, don't give me that look! I-I'm sorry, okay?! D-Don't get upset!"

"...Just shut up and kiss me."

...

_August 15, 2042._

It was so hot today.

And the air conditioner just _decided_ to break.

"Oh my gosh, I feel like I'm in an oven," Perla was whining; she was wearing a tank top and miniskirt, and had her hair piled up on top of her head in a sloppy bun. Luckily, she hadn't starting sweating yet. "Didn't Crimmy say he was gonna call someone...?"

Today was another Sunday, but Crim had a meeting and wouldn't be back until three in the afternoon. Right now, it was noon, the peaking of the heat. I had my hair pulled up into the typical high ponytail, albeit sloppier than normal. I was dressed similarly to my companion—a tank top, and shorts, not a skirt. Unlike my dear friend, I was sweating; the spikes in my hair were even starting to droop a little. It probably didn't help that I was, you know, six months pregnant.

"He did," I replied, brushing my bangs out of my eyes. "But no one's come yet. Arceus. Maybe we should just go to the Gym; it's got air conditioning."

"Noooo, there's nothing to do at the Gym!" Perla complained.

...For a seventeen year old, she sure seemed not to have matured very much.

I sighed, and heaved myself up off the couch. I rubbed my back as momentary pain went through it. I pulled down my tank top, stretching it over my rounding belly. I couldn't stay here, that was for sure.

"Well, I'm going to the Gym," I told you. "You can come if you want, or you can stay here. Your choice."

"Noooo, don't leave me alone!" she cried, leaping to her feet. "I hate being alone! Please don't go, Indi!"

"Then just come with me, silly," I sighed.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming!"

I grabbed my purse, made sure I had all my pokemon in their poke balls and inside the bag, grabbed my keys, and then made for the door. Perla scampered behind me. We stepped outside, and were hit by an intense wave of unbearable heat. I grimaced as I locked the door to the house.

An idea struck me. "Hey, why don't we stop by and visit my mom instead?"

Perla's orange eyes lit up. "Ooooh, yeah, that sounds fun! Maybe Cobbie and Lari will be there!"

She was talking about Cobalt and Larimar, my siblings, of course. They were both into their twenties now, so I didn't see why they would be at home. Cobalt had moved out as soon as he turned eighteen. I didn't know if Larimar was still living there, but she might be.

Either way, that was where we went. Mom was thrilled to see us, but concerned when I told her about the air conditioning. She had us come inside, and gave us both nice, ice-cold glasses of purified water. I gratefully accepted mine and drank it in relief.

"Have you been drinking enough water, dear?" Mom asked me, concern in her blue eyes. "It's very important to stay hydrated when you're pregnant, especially where you are right now."

"I have," I told her with a nod. "But today's just so hot..."

"I'm _sweating_!" Perla complained, scrunching up her nose in disgust. "It's so gross!"

Mom let out an amused chuckled. "You should drink plenty of water, too, Perla. You can never be too careful."

"I will, Mrs. Oak!" she chirped.

Mom returned her attention to me, pausing to take a sip of her own glass of cool water. "Have you heard about Finley and Zoey?"

"Oh, yeah!" I exclaimed, nodding. "They're having a baby too, huh?"

"Yes, I heard they're having a boy," said Mom, setting her glass down on the coffee table. "Just like you! But theirs is due in December, I believe. Bianca wasn't sure if she got all the details straight when she told me."

"Oh, oh! Indi! Your baby and Finley and Zoey's baby should totally be friends!" Perla exclaimed, her eyes once again lighting up with excitement. "It would be soooo cute!"

"Ha ha," I laughed, smiling. "That would be nice, but Fin and Zoey live all the way in Unova... Even with all the regions combined, it's pretty far from Kanto. It'd be too difficult to keep play dates... But that would've been so nice!" I took another sip of my water.

"Aaaaww!" Perla pouted. "Well, they can still meet, right?!"

"Of course," I laughed.

Mom smiled at us, obviously pleased to see us both so happy and cheerful as compared to when we returned from the future. But her demeanor suddenly changed to serious, and she looked at me.

"Indi, can I talk to you for a moment?" she asked me, humorless. "Alone?"

I stiffened, and Perla frowned, confused. What now...?

"Sure, Mom," I said, pushing myself up off the couch.

"Let's go into the kitchen," she said, standing as well.

I followed her into the kitchen, taking my water glass with me. She stopped in front of the sink, and turned around to face me, business mode on. Something was definitely up. But what...?

"What's up, Mom?" I asked, frowning in my confusion.

"Have you heard anything from Crimson lately?" she asked me, cold with seriousness. "About the Syndicate?"

Not this again... "No, why?" I asked, still frowning.

"He hasn't told you _anything_?" she asked with surprise.

"Not a thing," I responded, still confused. "Why? Did something happen?"

She sighed, and shook her head. "He probably just doesn't want you to worry..."

"Worry about what?" I demanded, becoming concerned.

Mom sighed again, and crossed her arms over her chest. "The Syndicate has attempted to assassinate every single member of the Elite Four. All the attempts, of course, have failed. It was kept from the public so not to start a panic. It's assumed that Crimson will be their next target..."

"WHAT?!" I nearly screamed, horrified. "They're going to try to kill _Crim_?! And no one freaking told me a _thing_?!"

"Indigo, calm down," she said sternly. "An attempt has not yet been made, and I'm sure Crimson is perfectly capable of taking care of himself."

"This is my _husband_ we're talking about!" I cried. "I have every right to be worried! What if something _happened_, Mom?! And I'm... I'm... going to have his baby in a few months! What would I do... if I _lost_ him?"

I felt tears pricking in my eyes just _thinking_ about it. I already nearly lost him in the future... And now, with our _child_ on the way, I had to deal with the possibility of losing him all over again.

"Oh, Indi," she sighed, reaching out to place her hands on my shoulders. "Everything will be okay," she told me firmly. "This Syndicate thing will end soon, just like Team Rocket and all those other villainous organizations. You'll be able to raise your family in peace. I'm sure of it."

I had hoped, even prayed to Arceus, that she was right. But she was oh so very wrong.

...

_September 21, 2042._

Now that I was seven months along, Crim had asked me to keep the Gym closed and to stay home. But to be honest, I think he just didn't want me going anywhere with the Syndicate still out and about. Even with Perla around to help, I felt lonely without him. He was busier than ever.

The news was... frightening. Even though they kept the attempted assassinations secret, the other stuff that was happening due to the Syndicate was reminiscent of the Government. It appeared they had control over some of the legendaries. I would never admit it, but I was becoming fearful of them. Even though I was the official Gym Leader of Viridian, I had asked Cobalt to attend the meetings for me so I wouldn't stress out with all the chaos happening. He did so without complaining, which I was very grateful for.

Even with all the more concerning trouble around me, I couldn't help but feel more self-conscious. I had gained weight, and of course my stomach was round and protruding. My feet were swollen to the point where I needed new shoes, and my face seemed to be rounder. I had always been self-conscious, being taller and more sturdier built than other girls and women. But now with everything happening to my body, I felt even worse.

I wasn't regretting having a child. I just wasn't liking what being pregnant was doing to me. This was the first time, so hopefully it wouldn't be so hard on me later on once we wanted another baby. And the times weren't so great either...

"Indi!" Perla called as she bounded up to me; I was curled up on the couch, reading a book, trying to get my mind off things. "You wanna go for your daily walk now?!"

"No... Maybe later," I told her.

"Oh... Okay, that's fine! Um..." She pondered for a moment. "Well, maybe we can-"

Suddenly, we heard the door jerk open, and slam shut. I froze, and Perla paused, her mouth still forming the word she was going to say. I heaved myself up off the couch, and we both walked to the front door. There stood my husband, leaning up against the door, panting.

"...Crim...?" I asked slowly, confused. "What's going on...?"

"The media," he groaned. "They won't leave me alone! I barely got here without being mauled!"

Perla giggled. "You're exaggerating!"

"You haven't seen how rabid those reporters get," he sighed heavily, before standing straight up, straightening his light jacket. "How's things?"

"Fine," I said after a moment. "Just... quiet."

"Good. Quiet is good." He nodded, and then looked at our guest. "Hey, Perla, maybe you should go see Argent or something..."

"Huh?" she blinked, startled. "Why would I do that? I'm fine right here!"

I fight the urge to slap my forehead. That girl was just so dense sometimes.

"Oh!" she gasped like she was suddenly enlightened. "You wanna spend some time with Indi alone! I gotcha! I guess I'll go see Arge then!" She scampered off toe grab her poke balls, jacket, and purse. "Bye-bye! See you later, guys!"

And then she was gone.

I sighed, and turned back around, meaning to head back to the couch.

"Indi, wait," said Crim, and I stopped. "Can I... talk to you?"

"No. Can I talk to _you_?" I asked, turning back around to face him.

"Wha?" He blinked, surprised. "What's wrong, Indi?"

"I just... I just..." I sighed again, and rubbed my eyes. "I just feel so ugly."

His red eyes widened with horror. "What?! T-That's not true!"

"...You're just saying that," I said, turning back around and walking back to the couch.

"I am not!" he exclaimed. "Indi, wait!"

He followed me out into the living room, where I sat back down on the couch, and pulled up my legs. I looked up at him as he caught up to me. He looked down at me, a worried expression on his handsome face.

"Why didn't you tell me you felt this way?" he asked, obviously trying not to freak.

"You're either not around or too tired, Crim," I stated. "Because of the d*mned Syndicate."

He sighed, and ran a hand through his messy, spiky hair. "I'm sorry, Indi... It's just... really bad, okay? They're planning something, and I have no idea what. I feel so... helpless... against them."

"Crim... You're not helpess. You're one of the strongest trainers in the world," I told him, alarmed that he was feeling as badly as I was.

He cracked me a smile. "And you're the most beautiful woman in the world."

...Since when did Crim learn how to be so sneaky?

"Pregnant or not, you're the most beautiful woman out there," he told me, giving me a tender smile. "Don't you ever forget that, and I won't forget I'm the strongest trainer. Deal?"

I sighed, trying to resist the smile that was tugging at my lips. "Okay, fine. ...Thanks, Crim."

He grinned. "That's what I'm here for! I took the rest of the day off just so I could spend time with you and Gar."

"...Story time, finally?" I asked.

His grin widened, and he laughed. "Definitely!"

...

_October 30, 2042._

And then everything came crashing down.

It was a Saturday. I had a surprise visit from Orange and Poppy, and Perla dragged Argent over as well. I was happy to see them all; it had been a while, especially since the last time I saw Orange or Poppy.

Orange was Crim's little brother. He had sloppy, messy black hair, and orange eyes. He was rather short, barely standing at five foot four, which was very short for a boy his age. Poppy was the youngest Kimu, and the only one remaining in the past. She has brown hair she wore in pigtails, along with the sloppy bangs she inherited from her father. She was taller than Orange by a couple inches. They were the same age—sixteen.

"Soooo, Indi," Poppy drawled, a devious smirk forming on her lips as she set down the bottle of soda pop I had given to her. "Are you excited?"

"...Of course she is," Orange deadpanned, giving his friend a look. "Why wouldn't she be?"

"I was just asking!" she huffed, sticking her tongue out at him childishly. "Don't be such a Super Serious Guy! Arceus, Orange!"

Orange sighed, and looked like he wanted to facepalm so badly. Perla giggled, while Argent had a "Here they go again" look on his face. I sighed, too, and took a sip of my water. I was more nervous than excited, to be honest. I already had discussed a birthing plan with Crim, but it still was nerve wracking. I mean, I had to freaking _give birth_ in a month.

"All of this talk about babies makes me so excited!" Perla gushed, clasping her hands together. "I can't wait to have babies of my own!"

Argent's silver eyes widened in alarm. "Not until we're married you're not."

"Aaaaaw! But everyone else had babies before they got married!" she complained with a pout.

Argent slapped his forehead. "Don't remind me."

Orange frowned. "Everyone else...? But there's only us. Crimson and Indigo are the first to have a kid."

Perla, Argent, and I all froze up. Crap! So they _still_ didn't know about the older kids?! For the love of Arceus...

"You're hiding something, aren't you?" Poppy asked accusingly, narrowing her gold eyes.

"...Yes," I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Thanks, Perla."

"Soooooooorry!"

"It's a very long and complicated story that your parents should answer, not me," I stated. "Your parents should have the scrapbook and video, Orange."

He narrowed his eyes, but said nothing else. Poppy opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted. A distant eruption sounded, shaking everything around us. Perla screamed, clutching Argent as if for dear life. The house shook like we were in an earthquake. I gripped the arm of the couch, trying not to be thrown off. Suddenly, it stopped, and all was still.

"Perla... It's over... You can let go now..."

"O-Oh... I-I'm sorry, Argent... W-What was t-that...?"

"First..." I said, trying to steady myself. "Is everyone okay?"

"I'm fine," Orange replied, sounding a bit shaken. "Poppy?"

"...Yeah, I'm okay."

I was relieved. I pushed myself up off the couch, only to have my body wracked by a Braxton-Hicks contraction. I gasped in pain, falling back down onto the couch. It wasn't a real contraction; it was just my body's way of preparing for giving birth. But now I had them hourly, and it hurt _a freaking lot_.

"Is she going into labor?!" Poppy shrieked, suddenly freaked out, her eyes widening.

"N-No!" Perla exclaimed. "It's perfectly normal! It happens every hour now..."

"She'll be okay," Argent stated. "Someone turn on the TV. I want to know what that was.

The pain began to subside as Orange stood up and went to turn on the television, and switch it to the news station. I sighed heavily, pressing my palm to my forehead as it finally ended. Poppy's eyes were still wide, and Perla still looked a bit shaken up.

"Indigo!" Orange suddenly called, sounding alarmed. "You have to see this!"

"What?" I groaned, and Perla stood up to help me get up onto my feet. "What is it, Orange?"

"...The Indigo League was just bombed. That's what that exploding sound was, and why there was an earthquake."

Oh, Arceus, no! I rushed to the television, stopping next to my brother-in-law. My eyes widened in horror at the sight I saw on the screen. There was the Indigo Plateau, smoking, blown to bits. My mouth hung open as I stared. Crim... Crim was supposed to be there.

"No!" I screamed. "Crim's there!"

"What?!" Orange cried in alarm. "Are you serious?!"

"I wouldn't joke about something like that!"

I. Could. Not. Lose. Crimson.

"Everyone, stay calm," I heard Argent say. "Freaking out will not make things better. We know that much after our time in the future."

"The future?!" Poppy shrieked. "What are you talking about?!"

Breathe, Indigo, you can breathe. I forced myself to take deep breaths. Crim was okay. He had to be okay. He wasn't going to die on me and leave me a widow and our unborn son fatherless.

Oh, Arceus... Why did this have to happen to us?!

I heard a pokegear ring. It was mine, where I left it on the corner table. Perla snatched it up, and answered it for me. I couldn't bring myself to move right now.

"It's Crim!" Perla shrieked, astounded. "He's okay!" She paused, listening to him. "Okay, he wants us to leave! Head to Unova?! Okay, okay! Yes, Indi's okay! We're all okay, don't worry! The Syndicate's after us?! Okay, okay, we're going, we're going!" She hung up and sprung to her feet.

"Crim's alive?!" I demanded.

"Yes, he's fine! A little beat up, but okay! But we have to go!" Perla told us all loudly.

"What happened?!" Poppy demanded.

"It was the Syndicate," she answered grimly. "They're trying to take over... and I think they will..."

"Then we better not waste any time," Argent said sternly. "They'll be after Indi because she's Crim's wife. Hurry up and pack what you'll need!"

"R-Right!" Perla exclaimed, springing to action. "There's no time to waste!"

I felt like I was in a daze. Someone grabbed my hand and pulled me along; it was Poppy. They were all talking to me, way too fast for me to comprehend. The next thing I knew we were leaving the house. Perla was calling everyone we knew to warn them and tell them to get to Unova.

We barely got out in time when Pallet Town was attacked. Luckily, all our families escaped. It seemed selfish to me, to care more about our families than the others... But we couldn't save everyone.

It was hard for me to travel. My feet hurt, I had those contractions every hour, and my extended belly slowed me down. We ended up flying to New Bark Town, and met with Poppy's family there. We didn't stop until we were inside Tojo Falls. I was exhausted. There, we would wait for Crim.

We waited hours. And night fell. Everyone decided to try to sleep. But I couldn't. All I could think about was my missing husband. I did the only thing I could—I prayed to Arceus that he was, and would be, okay.

And when he finally came... I had never been so happy before in my life.

"Indi!"

I looked up from where I sat to see a battered version of my husband enter the small cave I was in. I didn't say anything. I just heaved myself up, and ran to him, throwing my arms around him in a bit of an awkward embrace.

"Crim!" I cried, breaking down into tears, finally caving.

"It's okay," he told me as I cried into his shoulder. "I'm here, Indi. I'm never going anywhere again. We're gonna stick together. We'll get through this. I promise."

...

We reached Unova, and the very day we got there, I went into labor. I gave birth to our son, and we named him Garnet. Then, a few days later, we all met to discuss what we would do.

The Syndicate had taken over Kanto and Johto. They were moving in on Hoenn as we spoke. So we made our decision, influenced by the future of the next generation—specifically, newborn Gar.

We would form the Rebellion, modelling it after the Resistance. We would fight back for our independence.

Our parents would not be involved. Crim and I would be the two High Commanders. All of our siblings and friends would be leaders as well. Only Perla wanted to stay out of it, saying she would help us take care of the children as time went on.

And so the war between the Syndicate and the Rebellion began, just like the war between the Government and the Resistance that would happen so many years later in the future.

* * *

><p><em>Sunday, August 22, 5018.<em>

_(Amber's POV)_

I stood outside of the Cerulean Gym with all my friends, my hands resting on my hips. I was still a bit hesitant, but I felt better after hearing my own pokemon's words, and after apologizing to my friends for my behavior. They had forgiven me, but I couldn't help but feel like I didn't fully deserve it... It still killed me to even ask for forgiveness.

"...You ready, Juno?" I asked the pikachu on my shoulder.

_"I'm always ready, Amber,"_ she told me with an eager smirk.

"Try not to pass out this time," Dodge said as he walked up to me. "It was a pain carrying you back. You're heavier than you look, y'know."

"ARE YOU CALLING ME FAT?!" I shrieked, whipping around to face him.

"Whoa, no, Ambs, chill!" he exclaimed, raising his hands in a calm down gesture. "No where in that sentence did I call you fat."

"...You implied it," I growled, glaring at him.

"Oh, for the love of Arceus, why do I bother?" Dodge groaned, slapping his forehead. "Women."

"Girls," Gio sighed.

"Can't live with them, can't live without them," was Pyrite's input.

Carne, Galena, Bronze, and I just stared at them. Were they okay...?

"Y'know, you could always just like guys," Denver said. "That solves the girl problem, doesn't it?"

The looks on Pyrite's and Dodge's faces were priceless. Gio, on the other hand...

"That's just gross! Awful!" he exclaimed, his eyes wide with horror. "Stop saying stuff like that!"

Denver sighed. "Boys."

"Boys," Galena agreed with a sigh.

"...Men," I grumbled, turning back around.

"What just happened?" Bronze, confusion in his voice.

"...I'm wondering the same thing, Bronze, I'm wondering the same thing," sighed Carnelian.

"Can we get to my f*cking Gym challenge already?!" I demanded. "We don't have all d*mn day!"

"Um, wait a second," Gio piped up nervously. "I have a question... for Denver."

"Yes, my fine friend?" Denver asked graciously.

"Do you... uh... like guys...?" Gio said very slowly.

"HA! Good one!" Denver chuckled in amusement. "No, I like girls. A lot. A lot lot. Heh."

"...That totally was not creepy at all, Denver," Carne deadpanned.

Denver laughed some more. "I enjoy seeing a fine lady walking down the street. Just because I have two dads doesn't mean I'm gay, too, Gio. Just remember that, 'kay?"

"Uh... O-Okay..." He didn't seem so sure.

"...Can we _please_ go in now?" I demanded.

"Wow, you said _please_!" Denver gasped in mock shock. "Of course we can, silly. Let's go!"

Finally, we all headed into the Gym. I was surprised to see a small, light blue room that led to another entrance. I could smell the faint scent of chlorine. Was there a pool inside...? I adjusted my bag on my Juno-free shoulder and headed towards the other doorway.

I stepped through the door to find myself in a large indoor pool. The water was crystal blue, and there were racing aisles. Pokemon were training in the pool, their trainers dressed in swimwear. Sitting in a tall, white lifeguard's chair all the way at the other end of the pool was Marina.

We hadn't gone to this section of the Gym. She had taken us to a lounge that was all the way on the other end; we went through a back entrance. I wondered how long it took them to build this place... I had heard the Gym had only opened about two or three years ago. The Vermillion Gym was the same way.

"Wow!" Galena exclaimed, walking up to stand next to me. "This place is so cool!"

"I wonder if you have to battle all the Gym Trainers," Denver mused.

"I hope not," I snorted. "I just want to get this over with!"

_"I wanna kick some butt!"_ Juno agreed with a smirk.

"Then just go ask Marina," Pyrite said, and I turned to look at him. "What could it hurt?"

...He had a point.

"...Right," I agreed. "I'll go do that. Wait here."

"Be careful not to get wet!" Galena warned me. "Those pokemon are making lots of splashes."

"Yeah yeah, I hear you," I grumbled. "Be right back."

I managed to make my way along the side of the pool to the back without getting wet. When I reached Marina, she looked pretty bored. She had her elbow propped up on the armrest, her chin sitting on her palm.

"Hey, Marina!" I called to her.

She jumped a little, and then looked down towards me. "Oh, hi, Amber. You're here for our battle, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah! I don't have to battle any Gym Trainers, to I?"

"Nope! I usually have challengers take on the Gym Trainers to see if they're strong enough to face me, but I saw your actions during the Team Rocket fiasco... You're tough enough." She slid off the chair. "I'll just have them all leave so we can have our battle!" She gave me a grin. "I've been waiting for another strong challenger, and I think you're it! Just like Oak."

Ugh... I didn't really like being compared to Zircon. But at least she thought I was strong.

A few minutes later, all the Gym Trainers were gone, and my friends had found places to sit. It was time for our battle. I was starting to get nervous, which was new for me. I was so used to being confident, and all of a sudden, I wasn't so sure anymore.

But my pokemon believed we could win, so I should believe, too.

"All right!" Marina exclaimed, looking excited. "This will be a three-on-three battle! The first trainer to knock out all of her opponents wins! You know the rest!" She took out a poke ball, and released the pokemon. "Let's go, Seel!"

Just like she said, a seel appeared in a flash of light, materializing in the pool. I was relieved that they had large, round, floating tiles for non-aquatic pokemon to use. That would have been a major problem. The racing aisles had been removed as well.

I took out a poke ball, and released the pokemon inside. "You're up, Mars!"

The raticate appeared on one of the floating tiles. He grinned, flashing his sharp fangs. He was ready, very ready. Hopefully we were strong enough...

No, I couldn't think like that! We _were_ strong enough! We could do this!

"You have the honors!" Marina told me.

"Right," I said. "Mars, use Crunch!"

"Seel, Headbutt!" commanded Marina.

Mars leaped into the air towards the seel, and the seal pokemon leaped up out of the water. The two collided, hitting each other with their attacks. I winced a little when both pokemon were flung back. Mars hit the tile, and nearly slid all the way off into the pool. The seel hit the water with a giant splash.

Mars pushed himself back up, and with a grin, moved closer to the middle of the floating tile. The seel appeared at the surface. They had both taken damage, but not enough for it to be serious yet.

I was... starting to feel better. I couldn't believe I thought about quitting battling!

"Mars!" I shouted, pointing to our opponent. "Quick Attack!"

Though it wasn't his strongest attack, it allowed him to move first. The raticate blasted forward with wicked speed, slamming right into the seel's head. It cried out before it was pushed underwater. It surfaced a moment later as Mars returned to the tile. He flashed a devious grin.

"You're good," Marina conceded, crossing her arms over her chest. "But you _are_ the kid of two veterans of the war. I'm having fun! Aren't you, Seel?!"

_"Yes yes!"_ the seel barked. _"A lot of fun!"_

Marina grinned. "That's the spirit! All right, let's do this! Seel, use Aurora Beam!"

The seel leaped out of the water, did a somersault, and launched a beam of rainbow ice at Mars. He was unable to escape, and was hit right in the face. He slid back several inches, nearly getting knocked off again. They were both starting to wear out now...

"Hang in there, Mars," I told him, and his eyes glanced back at me, and he gave me a curt nod. "Now use Hyper Fang!"

"Headbutt once more!" Marina commanded.

The two pokemon lunged at each other, and collided again. Like before, they both were sent flying back. Mars hit the tile and slid to the edge, and the seel made a even larger splash, spraying her trainer. My raticate struggled to his feet, but managed to stand. The seel, however, floated to the surface of the water, unconscious.

"Ha! We did it, Mars!" I cheered, punching my fist into the air. "Awesome job! Just two more to go!"

He turned around slowly to give me a tired grin as Marina returned her seel to her poke ball. _"Like always, Boss!"_

I took out his poke ball. "You've done enough. Take a nice rest! You deserve it!" I returned him to the device, and put it back into my bag.

"You're doing great!" Marina told me with a smile. "Keep it up, and you'll have the badge in no time!"

"...You... want me to _win_?" I asked, astounded.

She laughed, taking another poke ball out of her jacket. "Of course I do! When I meet a strong trainer, I want them to earn the Gym badge! I mean, everyone who deserves the badge should get it!" She tossed the poke ball into the air. "You're up, Seadra!"

A seadra appeared in the flash of light, materializing in the pool. Okay, I knew who I had to use now. It was about to get serious. Because after this seadra, we would have to face her starmie. It was time to break out the big guns!

"Let's do this, Juno!" I exclaimed, sending out the pikachu.

She let out a battle cry as she landed on the floating tile, her red cheek pouches crackling. She grinned mischievously, giving a taunting look to the seadra in a fashion similar to her father, Raiden. She was ready for some action.

I pointed to the seadra. "Juno, use Thunderbolt!"

"Quick, Seadra, use Bubble Beam!" ordered Marina, her hands clenching into fists.

"PiiiikaaaCHUUUUUUUUU!" cried Juno as she released the attack, sending a nearly blinding bolt of electricity at the water dragon.

The Thunderbolt zapped the bubbles shot out of the seadra's mouth, making them explode into water spray. The bolt hit the enemy pokemon hard, and it howled in pain. Once the attack was over, I saw that the seadra was floating on top of the water, knocked out cold... in one hit. Whoa.

"...Whoa," Marina breathed, thinking the same thing as me. "That was... fast. Your pikachu's something else."

I grinned, feeling my confidence coming back. "Well, she _is_ my strongest."

_"Got that right!"_ she exclaimed before she let lose a fit of snickering.

Marina smirked, though, seeming pleased about something. "My strongest is up next, too." She took one last poke ball out of her jacket. "Let's see if you're as good as I think you are! Let's finish this, Starmie!"

The dreaded star of the show appeared before us, hovering above the water. It made a beeping noise which I could not understand. I suppose since it was partly a Psychic-type, it could use telepathy. So I couldn't understand it otherwise. It was... different from what I was used to.

"It's excited," Marina told us, still smirking. "It can sense your power."

"Well, what did you expect?" I responded, shrugging a little.

She laughed. "True. Well, let's end this! Starmie! Hydro Pump!"

"Reflect it with Iron Tail!" I commanded.

Juno leaped up into the air, her tail glistening silver, and somersaulted to get her tail to face the foe. The starmie's red gem glowed as a pressured blast of water shot towards us. Just like I expected, the blast of water was split by the Iron tail, spraying out around the pikachu. I now had a new defense tactic!

Juno then leaped towards the starmie, still brandishing her iron-coated tail, and slammed it right on the jewel. Starmie made a loud beep and was sent backwards a couple of feet. She landed on another floating tile.

"Great technique!" Marina exclaimed, a bit surprised. "You think outside the box, don't you?"

"...You can't always use brute force to win," I told her, but I felt like I was telling that to myself more than her. "I learned that much after with what happened with Diana."

Her expression turned somber. "Well, I'm glad you learned that early. Starmie, now use Psychic!"

Holy sh*t, not that! The starmie used the attack differently from when we were at the Golden Bridge; Juno was hit by a wave of psychic energy. She struggled to stay on her feet, being pushed back down the tile. Finally, the attack relented, and she was still standing.

"You okay, Juno?!" I called to her, starting to get worried.

She stood up straight, on all fours, smirking. _"Never been better! It takes a lot to take me down!"_

I grinned; that was the Juno I knew! "Okay, it's time for another Thunderbolt!"

Her cheek pouches crackled as she gathered the electricity needed for the attack.

"Brace yourself, Starmie!" warned Marina, determined to win this match.

Juno released the attack, sending a wicked golden bolt of voltage towards our enemy. She had been aiming at the jewel, which I believed was its weak stop, and _hell yes_, it hit right on the mark! Starmie's body shook as it got shocked. After the attack ended, it hovered in the air for a few moments.

Was it still conscious...? Were you f*cking kidding me?

Marina grinned. "We're still hanging on! Starmie, use Hyper Beam!"

F*CKING D*MMIT NO!

A sphere of scarlet energy formed in front of the starmie's red gem, and then blasted across the pool towards my pikachu. She was hit and sent flying into the pool. The large splash sprayed me with water, but not quite drenching me.

"Juno!" I cried, rushing forward towards the pool. "Juuuno!"

There was a yellow blur under the water, and suddenly she surfaced right in front of me. She swam over to the edge where I stood, and grabbed onto the side with her paws.

_"I'm... okay..."_ she got out, breathing heavily.

Relief flooded me, and I backed up so she could climb out. She pushed herself up on all fours, and shook the water from her body. She let out a low growl, and turned around slowly. I looked up to see Marina looking shocked and her starmie barely hanging on.

"How did she survive that?!" she exclaimed in astonishment.

_"You don't know... who you're dealing with,"_ Juno spat out, before looking up at me. _"It's Volt Tackle time."_

My eyes widened. "Are you f*cking crazy?! You'll be hurt too!"

_"Just let me do it!"_ she cried, her cheek pouches crackling. _"Trust me on this!"_

The look on her face was so determined. How could I say no? "...Fine. Juno, use Volt Tackle!"

_"With pleasure,"_ she growled, scrunching up her nose.

Electricity exploded around her body, surrounding her with voltage. She launched herself off the edge of the pool, blasting forward into the air, propelled by the power surrounding her. She catapulted all the way across the pool, and slammed right into the starmie's crimson gem. They collided with such force, there was a explosion.

My hair whipped back from the force, and the water formed rapid waves. When the dust cleared, I saw that Juno was trembling, yet standing, on one of the tiles, and the starmie was floating on the water, unconscious. We both stood in silence, too shocked to speak. That had been... so f*cking intense...

Marina blinked, snapping out of her daze. "Congratulations, Amber. You just earned the Cascade Badge! That was awesome!"

I finally seemed to come out of my shock. I grinned. "I couldn't have done it without, Juno!"

The pikachu turned a bit to look back at me, and gave me a tired smile. _"That's... what I'm here for... partner!"_

My grin softened into a smile. Seriously, without Juno... I probably wouldn't even had made it this far. She said it; we were inseparable partners. I didn't know what I would do without her.

* * *

><p><strong>WHOA THIS WAS LONG<strong>

**Anyways**

**Amber won the Cascade Badge! But had some other problems before that.**

**And you just found out about the guys back in the past! Hehe, that was fun.**

**Next chapter will be special! First of all, it's a Beta chapter... But most importantly, it will have the ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL**

**IT'S ALMOST BEEN A WHOLE YEAR WHOA**

**Oh, and if you've been paying attention to my profile, you would have seen that the trilogy is getting a remake!**

**Okay, that's all!**

**REVIEWS ARE LOVE**


	12. 11: Shroomish For A Cause

**EVERMORE**

**~Sequel Of The Forever Trilogy~**

**Chapter 11**

**Shroomish For A Cause**

_Monday, August 23, 5018._

_(Dodger's POV)_

"Well, we're going to be staying in Cerulean for a little while longer!"

We were standing outside the Pokemon Center, all ready to go. Denver and Carnelian had to still challenge the Gym, so they were gone doing that. Right now we were facing Galena and Bronze. Yesterday, Bronze had challenged Marina and won. Galena wasn't interested in winning so she wouldn't be battling; she was the one who had spoken.

"There's still some stuff we want to see," she explained. "But I'm sure we'll meet up some other time!"

"All right," said Pyrite. "We better get moving then."

"Yup," I agreed, readjusting my sunglasses on top of my head. "In order to get to Vermillion, we have to pass through Lavender Town. It's a pretty long walk."

"Ugh, seriously?" Amber groaned. "That's f*cking going to take forever!"

"L-Lavender Town?" Gio breathed, his eyes wide. "We have to go there?!"

"Yeah, why?" I asked, frowning.

"Ooooh, is little Gio afraid of ghosts?" Galena teased, her green eyes twinkling deviously. "Don't worry, the only ghosts that exist are ghost-type pokemon!"

"It's not that..." he sighed, shaking his head. "You wouldn't understand since you don't have Viridian powers... And it's kind of hard to explain..."

"What the hell do Viridian powers have to do with Lavender Town?" Amber demanded, putting her hands on her hips, turning towards him and leaning forward slightly. "It's just a town!"

"It's not the town," Gio replied, flushing slightly. "It's the Pokemon Tower."

Pyrite frowned. "Isn't that where they lay dead pokemon to rest? A cemetary? My mom told me a lot of the dead pokemon of trainers from Kanto in the Resistance were buried there. It's pretty jam-packed now, like the other pokemon cemetaries."

Gio looked over at him and nodded. "Yeah... It's... really hard to explain. But... Amber..." He returned his attention to her. "Don't go in there."

"Why the hell not?" she demanded, leaning forward some more. "There are wild pokemon there, right? Perfect training grounds! And, well, I'd like to pay my respects to the dead pokemon."

"It's too dangerous!" he exclaimed frantically. "Trust me on this!"

How could the Pokemon Tower be dangerous...?

"Okay, okay, we're not even there yet," I said, raising my hands in a calm down gesture. "No need to argue about it. We really need to get moving."

"Right," Pyrite agreed, much to my relief. "Come on, guys. See you later, Galena, Bronze!"

"Bye-bye!" Galena exclaimed, beaming at us and waving. "Have fun!"

"See ya!" Bronze shouted, waving his arms back and forth excitedly.

With that, the four of us set off to leave Cerulean City. It took us a few minutes to find our way towards the exit that led to the Rock Tunnel, which would lead us to Lavender Town. Amber broke out her skateboard, gliding along slowly with us as we walked. I kept the conversation going, getting everyone into a good mood. We needed a morale boost.

"There it is!" Amber exclaimed eagerly, pointing towards an exit. "Let's get going!"

She pushed herself forward, rocketing ahead of us. That was so Amber, I wasn't even bothered anymore. Pyrite sighed, however. I think she really frustrated him. I couldn't blame the guy for that, especially after everything that happened. I had no idea what had caused the sudden change in our friend, but something told me I didn't want to know.

"C'mon," I said, trying to cheer Ry up by flashing him a grin. "We can have fun traveling, y'know!"

Pyrite rolled his eyes at me, and Gio just blinked. I just kept on grinning, and started walking again. Seriously, both of them needed to loosen up. They needed to enjoy life, and the way they were living now didn't seem to be bringing them much joy.

I think being around Amber brought Pyrite down a little. He wasn't that much fun when he was around her. He was always tense. Ry was normally a pretty relaxed guy, but that girl just put him on edge. Even now that they were getting along, he wasn't chilling or anything.

We caught up to Amber several minutes later. She had stopped to battle some wild pokemon. When we arrived, Diana was just taking down a ratatta. Amber crowed over the victory, giving her pokemon lots of praise. After seeing her down the past couple of days, it made me happy to witness her return to her old self.

"That was awesome, Amber!" Gio exclaimed, his silver eyes bright. "You're really good!"

She whipped around, and relaxed when she saw it was only us. Her face broke out in a wide grin, and her crossed her arms over her chest.

"Well, it's only natural," she bragged, living up the praise. "Not only do I have wicked a** skills, but my pokemon are the f*cking best."

Yep, our good ol' Amber was back in action. As obnoxious as she could be, I preferred this to the gloom and doom. I was glad to see that Zircon's words weren't bothering her anymore. Though... if they were... she was hiding it. I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. Sometimes you couldn't tell what was going on in her head.

She returned Diana to her poke ball, walked out of the grass, picked up her skateboard and put it back in her bag, and then rejoined us.

"Okay!" she exclaimed, still grinning. "Let's get moving!"

"That's the spirit!" I exclaimed, smiling as well. "If we keep up this pace, we'll get to Lavender Town in no time!"

We started off again, having regrouped. Gio was lingering behind us, not really joining in on the conversation. Pyrite seemed to be lightening up a bit, which was good. I hated seeing any of my friends down. I wanted everyone to be happy.

We walked along a stream with glistening blue water. It was cooler here, probably because of the stream. It was refreshing since it was so hot now, during the middle of August. But we had to get our journey done before winter fell, and it got too cold to travel. I liked cool weather, but not the cold. I liked water, not snow, or ice.

"We're almost to the Rock Tunnel," I said to my friends. "Then we'll have to get through the cave, and Lavender Town will be right in front of us!"

"Awesome!" Amber exclaimed with a smirk. "Hey, isn't the Kanto Radio Tower there?"

Pyrite nodded. "Yeah, it is. They almost knocked down the Pokemon Tower to build that, but so many people were upset about it so they didn't."

"Why the f*cking hell would anyone want to knock down the Pokemon Tower to build a stupid Radio Tower?!" Amber demanded, scowling. "How f*cking low can you get?!"

"They'd never find a place to bury all the pokemon either," I said, shaking my head. "The whole idea is stupid."

"I know," Pyrite agreed. "But this was a long time ago, like in the twenty-first century."

"Our ancestors were f*cking idiots," Amber growled, her hands clenching into fists. "I'm glad they didn't f*cking go through with that."

"I didn't know that," Gio piped up from behind us.

We all stopped right where we were, and turned around to look at him.

"My mom is really into history," Pyrite explained. "And she likes to tell me what she learns. She's really interested in the twenty-first century for some reason... I don't know why." He shrugged. "It's not a big deal if you didn't know. That was ages ago."

"The twenty-first century, huh?" I mused. "Your mom's a teacher. That might be it."

Pyrite shook his head. "It's... more than that. I don't know what. I feel like there's so many secrets they're keeping from us."

I frowned. Well, I could understand where he was coming from. My dad didn't like talking about what he was up to as a kid. My mom wouldn't tell me much about him either, just when they first met when they were nineteen. I had never thought of that as my parents keeping secrets from me. But Pyrite had a point... What if our parents weren't telling us the whole truth? What was the point of that?

Amber snorted. "Yeah right! What's there to hide? I don't really give a sh*t about what my parents did as kids."

Pyrite scowled, glaring at her. "You might not care, but then again, you don't have a missing dad."

Oh crap, not this again. Pyrite really needed to stop thinking about it too much... It would drive him crazy, and he would just get disappointed in the end.

Amber scowled right back at him. "How many f*cking times do people have to tell you, Pyrite?! Your dad's dead, end of story! If you keep on thinking about it all the d*mn time, you'll just get f*cking hurt! Stop torturing yourself. _Please_."

In that moment, I saw a glimmer of Amber's younger self, back when she opening showed she cared about everyone. It was much more subtle, but it was still obvious to me. She had just shown, still in her brash ways, that she did indeed care about Pyrite. She probably didn't even realize it herself. She was pretty dense about her own feelings. I couldn't help but smirk as I thought about all of this.

"What's that face for?" she snapped at me, scowling harder.

"Oh, nothing," I laughed, waving her off. "Nothing at all. Heh."

She narrowed her eyes, obviously not convinced. Pyrite blinked, having finally recovered from the shock of Amber being concerned about it. Gio looked confused, having no idea what was going on. He still had to get used to us. Poor kid.

"Ugh, whatever," Amber grumbled, turning back around. "We've wasted enough time here. Let's get going!"

She bounded off again, and we headed after her. However, we didn't get very far when we encountered another problem. We rounded a corner, almost to the Rock Tunnel, but stopped when we saw four people.

They were Team Rocket grunts, all gathered around something, yacking their jaws and kicking at something. As soon as we saw them, we all tensed, except for Gio, of course.

"Hey!" Amber yelled, taking a step forward. "What do you freaks think you're doing?!"

"Amber, don't be rude!" Gio cried, obviously still trying to get us to respect Team Rocket.

The four Team Rocket grunts were startled, all whipping around to face us, blocking our view of whatever they had been bothering. They weren't all men this time; one of them was a woman. I couldn't believe there would be anyone low enough to join Team Rocket. It disgusted me. Barely had humans and pokemon been united, and they wanted to abuse the pokemon. That was unforgivable.

"Don't tell me what to f*cking do!" she snapped, making him flinch. "These b**tards don't deserve any d*mn respect!"

"Excuse me?!" the female grunt retorted. "You wretched little brat!"

"We don't deserve respect, eh?" one of the male grunts growled. "See what I told you? Kids these days are rotten, spoiled little brats. Especially the kids of the leaders of the d*mned Resistance."

Okay, that was the _last_ thing you wanted to say in front of us.

"Wow, the grunts are really stupid, aren't they?" I mused. "We're some of those kids of the leaders of the Resistance."

The grunt's eyes widened with horror. Oh yeah, he realized his big mistake now.

"That really ticks me off," Pyrite said darkly, a terrifying look coming across his face; you really did not want to mess with that guy. He was nice, but you didn't want to make him angry. Luckily, though, I had never seen him super mad.

"I will f*cking _destroy_ you," Amber growled, already reaching into her bag for a poke ball.

"Y-You know..." another grunt whimpered. "T-They really do look like kids of some of the Resistance's leaders... "

"...I can see that," the grunt that insulted us deadpanned.

"Go, Diana!" Amber exclaimed, releasing the butterfree.

Well, now that we were in this mess there was no point in holding back. I took out a poke ball, and sent out the pokemon inside. "C'mon, Vaporeon!"

Pyrite also was joining in on the battle, as he had taken out his own poke ball. "You're up, Blitz!" His luxio appeared in a flash of light.

Hushed curses came from the grunts as they hastily got out their own pokemon, and released them. Their pokemon were typical for grunts—zubat, ratatta, koffing, and ekans. They weren't even evolved. This would be easy.

"Diana! Confusion!" Amber barked.

"Blitz, use Spark!" Pyrite commanded.

"All right, Vaporeon!" I exclaimed. "Water Gun!"

All attacks were launched at the same time. The butterfree released a wave of psychic energy at the koffing. The luxio leaped into the air, his body surrounded with voltage, and slammed into the zubat. Vaporeon also jumped into the air, and spat a stream of water out of his mouth, hitting the ratatta.

"No!" I heard Gio cry from behind us. "Why are you always picking fights with Team Rocket?!"

"Shut _up_, Gio," Amber growled, not taking her eyes off the enemy. "You'll never understand!"

"Just stay out of this," said Pyrite, also not budging an inch.

...You know, Ry and Ambs really would make a great team together. Or pair. Or couple. Crap, what was I thinking? That was Galena's business, not mine. Either way, they had always had this uncanny way of getting on the same train of idea or thought. Back when they were friends, that is. But now they were getting along again, so maybe it was coming back?

Anyways, the koffing had been knocked out by Diana's attack, as had the zubat been by Blitz's. The ratatta was still hanging on, having barely pushed itself back up. The ekans lunged forward at the luxio, clamping its jaws down hard on his leg, using Bite. Blitz yowled in pain. The ratatta pushed itself forward with Quick Attack, slamming head first into Diana, who was knocked backwards. A golbat and a weezing were sent out to replace the fallen pokemon.

Crap, that was not good.

The insulting grunt smirked. "Not so confident now, eh? Weezing, use Sludge Bomb!"

The poisonous pokemon hurled toxic sludge at Diana, who posed the greatest threat towards it. The attack had to be extremely powerful; the Sludge Bomb was the largest I had ever seen. That weezing had to be twice, no, maybe thrice, Diana's level. That was not good, especially after the butterfree had nearly died.

"No!" Amber cried, her eyes widening. "Diana!"

Then, out of the blue, a lucario leaped in front of the butterfree, taking the attack for her. Of course, being part steel-type, the attack didn't affect it at all. The lucario then launched an Aura Sphere at the koffing, knocking it out in one hit. Then the pokemon single-handedly knocked out every single pokemon that any of the grunts sent out. We and our pokemon just stood there (well, flying in Diana's case) and stared in shock and awe.

The lucario halted in front of us, as if to say, "You want some more?"

The grunts were pretty freaked out.

"What is that thing?!"

"Where did it come from?!"

"Sh*t, we have to warn the others!"

And then they all fled, running into the Rock Tunnel, leaving whatever they had been bugging in the first place behind, all huddled up in the ground. It looked like a pokemon.

"What... just happened?" Pyrite asked, still stunned.

"Good job, Marley."

The lucario turned around to face us at the sound of the voice, and we all whipped around. A man was sitting in a tree. He was rather scruffy looking, with messy dark hair, a beard, and dirty clothes. He jumped down from the tree, revealing that he was freaking tall, and only had one arm. Okay, that was really startling.

"Carbuncle?!" Pyrite demanded, his eyes wide.

Wait, what? This was the guy he told me about?

"Who the hell is Carbuncle?!" Amber demanded, whipping around to face him.

"Uh... The man who gave me my deino," he answered slowly.

The lucario suddenly appeared in front of us, having jumped over us. Gio flinched back, nearly colliding with Amber. The lucario then walked up to the man, who must have been its trainer. Carbuncle nodded to it, and then returned it to its poke ball.

"Hello again, kid," the man said, looking at all of us. "These your friends?"

"Uh... Yeah," Pyrite replied, still recovering from the shock of what just happened. "This is Dodge, Amber, and Gio."

"Yo," I greeted, not knowing really what else to say. "I'm Dodge Kaigun."

"Humph," Amber snorted, crossing her arms over her chest. "Amber Rosso-Senri."

"Um, hi," Gio said awkwardly. "I'm Gio Sakaki..."

Carbuncle looked at each of us as we introduced ourselves. So this was the guy that Pyrite thought was his dad? Well, I could see a slight resemblance. The hair, the basic facial structure. Though Carbuncle was wicked tall and had a slimmer body structure. But I could see it... Hm...

"He was in the Resistance," Pyrite told us.

Amber opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted.

"Rosso-Senri?" Carbuncle said, looking at her. "You look just like your mother."

...That was a bad thing to say to Ambs.

"Don't you f*cking dare compare me to her!" she snapped, a rather vicious expression taking over her face. "Do you know how f*cking annoying that is? 'Oh, you're Topaz Rosso-Senri's daughter? You look so much like her!' And then people put so much d*mn pressure on you, expecting you to be just like your parents! I'm not f*cking like anyone in my family okay?! Don't f*cking compare them to me!"

That was extremely disrespectful to say to an elder, but Amber wasn't exactly respectful. You had to earn her respect. She wasn't going to treat a total stranger like she did Gym leaders or the Elite Four. And Amber really did not like being compared to her mother. I mean, I could relate to that. I got it a lot since my dad was a member of the Elite Four and a veteran of the war, but not as much as she did.

Carbuncle narrowed his eyes; oh crap, he wasn't going to be angry, was he? Pyrite tensed up, his gold eyes wide at our friend's outburst. He hadn't really been expecting that, had he?

"...It was a compliment," the man deadpanned. "But I can relate to that."

He could...? But I suddenly realized something.

Amber... was unraveling, wasn't she? She used to never blurt out her feelings like that. Yeah, she had outbursts, but not as often as she was having now. Maybe Zircon's words were still affecting her, and she was hiding it, like I feared. This reminded me of back when we were kids, when Amber was... weak. Back when she depended on us because she wasn't strong enough to defend herself. Amber was losing her grip on herself. I never thought it would happen so quickly.

"Amber..." Ry began to say, looking at her. "It's okay..."

She shook her head, her ponytail flipping back and forth. "No, it's not. Nothing is okay. It never was."

"Amber-" Gio started.

"Leave me _alone_!" she snapped. "You don't understand anything! You're stupid and dense and I wish you'd just go away!"

Whoa whoa whoa, hold the phone! When Amber exploded, she really went all out. She said awful things to everyone. It was like a melt down. Now, she would probably run away from us all and break down in tears. No matter how tough she pretended to be, she was still very sensitive. You had to tread lightly. I had learned all these things about her over the years.

Gio's eyes widened with horror, shocked and hurt by her words. Pyrite was even startled, and Carbuncle showed as much surprise as his subtle expressions could allow.

Amber must have realized what she said because her expression became horrified. "Gio, I-"

"F-Fine!" he exclaimed, tearing up. "I... I'll leave! All you had to do was say something! I just... I just... I liked you..."

What...?

"Gio-" Amber started again.

Without another word, Gio pulled out a ultra ball, and released a braviary. He climbed on the bird pokemon's back, and then they took off, leaving us.

Did Gio... just say he liked Amber? Dear Arceus, why could nobody ever be direct anymore? I had no idea what was going on half the time anymore.

"Agh!" Amber groaned, her fists clenched. "He's so stupid!"

"So you do really think that," Pyrite stated. "You're hopeless, Amber. You make progress in being nice only to undermine everything you've worked for. Nothing I do can help you."

"S-Shut up!" she snapped, obviously trying to be tough again, but it wasn't really working.

"Do you really have to do this in front of Carbuncle?" he asked, sounding very irritated. "I'm ashamed to be your friend."

"Guys-" I began; this was really getting bad, I had to do something.

"Fine! Fine, fine, fine!" Amber exclaimed, her voice a mix of rage and pain, interrupting me. "You don't think I know I'm a failure?!"

"Amber! Don't say that!" I exclaimed. "That's not true!"

"Butt out, Dodge!" she retorted before returning her attention to Ry. "I can't do anything right, okay?! I can't battle without putting my pokemon at risk! I can't talk without being a b*tch to someone! I can't breathe without someone reprimanding me! I get it, okay?! I _get_ it. I'm tired of putting up with this sh*t. I'm tired of people complaining about me. I try to change, and I f*cking fail almost right away! It makes me feel like total sh*t! Just stop. _Stop_." She rubbed her eyes, like she was drained. "I'm going. You guys can travel by yourselves and have super fun times. I ruin everything anyways."

She turned around, and headed into the cave before anyone else could say anything. Diana flew after her, looking alarmed. The pokemon that the grunts had been bothering suddenly pushed itself up, revealing that it was a shroomish. It looked at us, and then back at the cave's entrance. Then it skedaddled all the way into the cave, leaving us, like it was after Amber.

"...She's troubled," Carbuncle stated.

"...Thank you, Captain Obvious," Pyrite deadpanned, still irritated.

Carbuncle smirked, amused. "You're welcome, Lieutenant Sarcasm."

I slapped my forehead.

...

_(Amber's POV)_

First Zircon told me I had no talent. Then Diana nearly died. Now I had said awful things to Gio, the one guy who actually _liked_ me, and now he was gone. Also, Pyrite addressed yet another failure and said he was ashamed of me. I had lost my cool in front of a total stranger, too. How more humiliated could I get?

Diana flew behind me silently as I slowly walked through the cave, my sneakers thudding lightly on the stone floor. I could hear the faint dripping of water, and the scurrying of feet of wild pokemon. My hand tightly gripped the strap of my bag, and the cool air of the cave chilled my bare skin. I felt drained and numb.

I was so f*cking stupid.

So stupid.

Such an idiot.

Nothing could save me. I was too much of a mess, too much of a failure. Why was I even still here? What was the point? Who said I could defeat the Vermillion Gym leader? He was supposed to be super strong. Why had I even thought I could win all the Gym Badges? Because of my confidence. My confidence that had nothing backing it up.

"Ha," I let out a bitter laugh. "I should just go home."

"What?!"

Diana cried, flying out in front of me. _"But we've come so far!"_

I looked at her, at her pleading face. She would have died again today if Carbuncle hadn't sent his lucario in like that. I didn't deserve any of my pokemon. They deserved someone who was strong, not a wimp like me.

"No we haven't," I said, my voice void of emotion, as I looked away from her. "I'm not like Cory or Laz... And I'm definitely nowhere near as great as Copal... Ha... Why disgrace the family name when there are so many awesome people who deserve the fame?"

_"Trainer..."_ Diana softly murmured.

I sighed, looking down at the ground. "I'm so pathetic."

I silently took out Diana's poke ball, and returned the butterfree to it. I didn't want her to see me like this. I didn't want anyone to see me like this. I didn't even want to see me like this. But I just felt so... worthless. I couldn't do anything right, even for a short period of time.

I walked a little deeper into the cave, feeling very alone. But sometimes it was good to be alone, away from others, even if I was more of a people person. Though I always ended up upsetting someone. So maybe I should just start avoiding people so I wouldn't hurt anyone.

But... I didn't like being alone. Even if it was better that way.

I sighed again. I just couldn't win, could I? Why did I even bother?

I bet this entire time, everyone was just pretending to like me. I bet they all really hated me; they were just hiding it. Just thinking about it made me want to cry.

...Oh wait, I already was. This entire time, I hadn't been aware that tiny tears were running down my cheeks. Ugh, how pathetic. I was so lame.

I only took a couple steps forward before sitting myself down on the ground, leaning up against the cave wall. The cool stone felt good on my back. I closed my eyes, lifting up my knees so I could wrap my arms around them. I tried to hold back the sob itching at the back of my throat, but it didn't work. I was so pathetic. I couldn't even stop myself from crying.

Now I could hear the dripping of water, the moving pokemon, and my hiccuping sobs. It made me want to cry harder. I sounded awful. I buried my face into my legs, trying to muffle the sounds.

_"Are you okay?"_

I jerked, and looked up through my teary eyes to see a shroomish. By the sound of its voice, it was female. I honestly wasn't too fond of shroomish. They... just weren't appealing to me. But this little shroomish must have followed me because they definitely did not live in caves. And... it spoke to me.

"N-No..." I got out, my voice cracking. "I'm not... okay."

The shroomish's perpetual frown seemed to get worse. _"That's not okay," _she said. _"Did someone hurt you? I'll kick their a** for you."_

I couldn't help but choke out a sad laugh. "Thanks... But it's mainly my own fault..."

The shroomish didn't seem convinced. _"How can I believe that?! C'mon, let me kick them good! Actually, maybe punching would be better."_

I sighed, lifting my hand to wipe my eyes. I felt so tired. I just... wanted to go home... and sleep. My parents still loved me, right? They would take me back? Or would they be disappointed of me? Well, there was only one way to find out...

_"Hey, you're a trainer right?"_ the shroomish asked.

"Yeah..." I answered. A pathetic one.

_"Then I'll just join you!"_ she exclaimed, raising a foot. _"That way, if anyone gives you a hard time, I'll kick their a**! After all, you defended me from those bad guys! I like you!"_

A pokemon... liked me?

"Thanks, but... I'm quitting," I said softly, staring down at my knees. "I don't deserve to be a trainer."

_"What?!"_ the shroomish shrieked. _"But quitting means you lose!"_

"So what?" I scoffed bitterly. "I lose all the time anyway."

Even though I said it, I knew it wasn't true. I rarely ever lost a battle. But I felt like I was losing in life, losing the eternal battle inside me. It seemed like it was a battle I would never win.

_"But you can't give up!"_ the shroomish cried adamantly. _"Because if you give up, those bad guys will have no one to stop them! I think-"_

Suddenly, a dull boom sounded, and the whole cave shook. Tiny bits of rock fell from the ceiling, raining down on us. I frowned, looking around me. Some wild pokemon had come out of hiding due to the disturbance.

"...What was that?" I asked.

_"I have no idea, but it's gotta be bad!"_ she cried. _"You have to do something! Um, what's your name?"_

"...Amber," I said with a sigh, pushing myself up to my feet.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps thudding rapidly, and suddenly Pyrite and Dodge burst into the area, followed by a much slower and relaxed Carbuncle. I was too drained to tense, but they didn't exactly give me a chance to react.

"Amber!" Pyrite exclaimed with relief. "Thank Arceus you're all right!"

"We heard an explosion," Dodge said, frowning.

"...I'm fine," I mumbled. "It was far away from here."

"I see," Carbuncle said after a moment. "I've been tracking Team Rocket's movements, which is what led me to here. They're definitely up to something here."

_"That's what I've been trying to say!"_ the shroomish cried, looking up at me.

"What does Team Rocket want anyway?" Pyrite asked, narrowing his eyes. "I mean, all they seem to be doing is steal pokemon."

"I'm not quite sure, to be honest," Carbuncle admitted. "But whatever it is, it's not good, and is has connections to the old Government."

"What? Are you serious?" Dodge demanded. "You've gotta be kidding me. Why can't the Government just die out already?"

Carbuncle chuckled, amused. "I wish it was that easy. But many civilians weren't very pleased when the Resistance won the war and took over. They especially don't like the three leaders—Grey Kuro, Topaz Rosso-Senri, and... Amethyst Kimu."

Pyrite stiffened at the sound of his father's name, scowling. "Well, right now they only have to deal with Uncle Grey and Topaz."

Carbuncle looked down at him silently, something stirring in his thoughts. "True," he said, unfazed. "And both are in high positions in the Neo-Indigo League."

"Don't remind me," I grumbled; I didn't want to think about how powerful my mom was.

"Well, if we don't get moving, they'll get away," Dodge said.

_"That's right!"_ the shroomish cried, looking up at all of us. _"You can't let them get away with this!"_

"Right..." Pyrite agreed. "But... I... need to talk to Amber first."

I didn't even react to that.

Dodge looked like he wanted to scream something at us, but was holding it back. "Okay, fine, Carbuncle and I'll go ahead. Don't take too long."

The man looked at us, but I couldn't tell what he was thinking. But without another word, he left with Dodge, leaving us alone. I didn't budge an inch, and Pyrite seemed like he was hesitating. He sighed loudly. The shroomish trodded away to give us some privacy, but I doubted she went too far.

"How are you feeling?" he finally asked, probably deciding to start off whatever he was going to say slowly.

"...Like total sh*t," I deadpanned.

"Of course," he sighed. "All of that... was building up from what Zircon told you."

"Yeah..."

He shook his head. "Amber, you shouldn't listen to him," he said seriously. "I mean, all he wants to do is beat you down. I know the thing with Diana really happened, but that doesn't mean you're a failure as a trainer. And yes, sometimes I am ashamed to be your friend. I can't deny that without lying. You really hurt Gio today."

"I know, I know!" I cried, throwing up my arms. "And I'm sorry, okay?! He just... He just..." I felt the tears returning, forming in my eyes. "Frustrates me so much."

"I know," he sighed. "He frustrates us all."

"I couldn't take it anymore," I confessed, closing my eyes. "So I lashed out at him and now he probably hates me and never wants to see me again."

"...Do you want to see him again?" he asked.

"I... I don't know. I don't know anything anymore. I don't know what I'm doing or why I'm doing it. I'm so confused, Ry..."

I opened my eyes to look at him. I couldn't really read his expression. It might have been too dark, or maybe he was masking it.

"Everyone's confused, Amber," he said at last. "This is... a confusing time. But friends stick together to help each other get through it. And... if you still want to be my friend... I'll be for you. And I'll help you find Gio and apologize to him, if you want."

I... really didn't deserve Pyrite as a friend. I didn't deserve him as anything. He was too kind, too forgiving, too willing to help. I mean, that was great, it really was. But... I didn't feel like he should be wasting his time on me. There had to be someone out there who deserved it.

...Like Carmine...

Nope, I wasn't going to think about that now.

"You don't have to do that," I said softly. "I can deal with my own problems myself. It's my fault, so I should take the full responsibility."

Pyrite actually smiled and laughed a little. "I never thought I'd ever hear you say that."

"...What's that supposed to mean?" I asked suspiciously.

"Nothing, nothing," he said, hastily moving on. "Are you feeling better now?"

"A little..." I admitted, and then I realized we were alone. Really alone. And he was... trying to cheer me up. He was... taking the time to try to make me feel better. I felt my cheeks begin to burn. "T-Thanks..."

He shrugged. "It's nothing. Come on, we should get going."

He began to walk past me, but I, acting on impulse, reached out to grab him by the arm, yanking him towards me. I hugged him, pressing my face into his chest. I obviously caught him off guard, because he froze up in shock. But slowly he defrosted, putting his arms around me and hugging me back.

It felt... nice.

"Thank you," I said again, not letting go yet."Really... You're an awesome friend."

"I-It's fine..."

I released him, stepp back. "C'mon, we gotta get moving!"

I headed off, rounding the corner, and found the shroomish waiting for us. Pyrite caught up with me moments later. The pokemon huffed.

_"Took you long enough,"_ she scoffed. _"What were you doing, playing tonsil tennis?"_

My eyes widened with horror, and I felt my face heat up. "N-No way!" I sputtered.

"Huh? What's with the shroomish?" Ry asked, lucking out of the embarrassing situation since he didn't understand pokemon speech.

"It, uh, wants to join me," I said, still blushing. "Hang on, lemme catch it now."

I took out a poke ball, and bounced it off the shroomish's forehead. The pokemon was drawn inside, and moments later it had been successfully captured.

"All right!" I exclaimed. "I'm gonna name you... _Ceres_!"

Ceres seemed pleased inside the poke ball. I put the device back in my bag, and then looked up at Pyrite.

"Okay, let's go," I said, fully recovered.

He nodded, and we set off again. The cave was dark and dank, and a lot of wild pokemon were about, startled by the explosion. I released Ceres to battle, and Pyrite sent Blitz back out. I kind of felt bad knocking out the wild pokemon. I mean, they were just scared and acting out on their natural instincts of survival.

"How f*cking far does this d*mn tunnel go?" I grumbled as we rounded yet another corner.

"Relax, Ambs," Pyrite sighed. "We've only been in here for about twenty minutes."

"What?! Are you f*cking serious?!" I scoffed. "I hate d*mn caves. At least this one isn't that dark." Otherwise I would have been flipping sh*t a long time ago.

"Do you have no sense of time?" he sighed again.

"S-Shut up," I grumbled.

Ceres looked up at me, obviously amused, while Blitz's expression said he wanted to get as far away from us as possible. I scowled, trying to ignore the pokemon.

A few minutes later—or what I assumed was a few—we finally reached Dodge and Carbuncle. Vaporeon was out, and the lucario was by its trainers side. Instead of the typical exit, rocks were blocking the entrance. Which meant only one thing.

"We're f*cking caved in?!" I shrieked, my voice cracking up an octave.

Dodge started at the sound of my voice, and whipped around to face us, while Carbuncle turned around slowly and calmly, like nothing fazed him. Pyrite stopped next to me, his luxio on his other side. Ceres took a couple of steps forward, away from me.

"What took you so freaking long?" Dodge demanded, narrowing his eyes at us. "Do I _want _to know?"

"...What's that supposed to mean?" Pyrite asked slowly.

"Oh, Arceus." He slapped his forehead. "I'm so done with you two."

"Are you implying something again, Dodger?" I asked icily, narrowing my eyes. "Do I need to kick your f*cking a**?"

"Someone's feeling better," he snorted, not bothered by my threat.

I crossed my arms over my chest. "No f*cking duh. I caught a new pokemon, too. This is Ceres."

_"Hey there!"_ the shroomish exclaimed, her downturned lips twitching up slightly in a gruesome attempt to smile. _"I'm gonna kick some bad guy a** for this!"_

"...What is she saying?" Dodge asked.

"...She's saying hi."

_"I said way more than that, Amber!"_

"Oh, shut up, that's all I'm translating."

Ceres huffed, not pleased with me. However, Carbuncle seemed intrigued by my abilities.

"You have Viridian powers, I see," he said, his expression never changing. "That's very useful."

I shrugged. "I guess so. It hasn't been that helpful to me yet."

"You've barely used them," Dodge pointed out.

"...I just started developing them! _Excuuuuuse _me!" I snapped defensively.

"You seriously need to take a chill pill," the blue-haired boy sighed. "Arceus."

"Guys," Pyrite deadpanned. "We're trapped in a cave. I think that's more important right now."

"I'll handle it," Carbuncle said, looking down at his lucario. "Marley, see how deep it is."

The lucario nodded, and Dodge hastily moved back towards Pyrite and me. We all took several steps back away from the rock pile, our pokemon following us. Ceres was a little slow; all she could do was waddle, after all. Once we were a safe distance away, the lucario launched an Aura Sphere at the pile of rocks.

Rocks exploded, some flinging shards everywhere. Carbuncle didn't seem bothered by that. We moved a bit further back since the shrapnel was landing a bit too close to us for our liking. I actually was kind of glad that Gio wasn't here; all this stuff might have scared him.

"Hmm..." the man pondered. "I think we can break through it. Thanks, Marley." He took out a poke ball, returning the lucario, and then took out an ultra ball. "Strega."

The pokemon that appeared was a f*cking garchomp of all things. I had never seen one in person before, just in photographs and artwork. Garchomp were supposedly one of the strongest dragons. I wondered if that was true.

"Break through the rocks," Carbuncle told it, and it nodded in agreement.

The man moved back this time, joining us where we stood. The garchomp backed up a few feet, and then lunged forward with wicked speed. It crashed through the rocks, busting them apart. I yelped, jumping back as a boulder bounced by us, nearly hitting me. Luckily, I didn't stumble into anyone in the process.

Several minutes later, the garchomp had removed every single rock that had been blocking the path. Light now shone through the entrance, making us all squint because it was so bright. I could hear voices on the other side.

_"Oooh, boy, that's them!"_ Ceres growled, tensing up. _"I'm gonna go kick their a**es!"_

Before I could say a word, the shroomish scuttled off, waddling faster than I thought was possible outside. Sh*t, she was as reckless as me!

"Freaking d*mmit!" I exclaimed, running forward. "Get back here, Ceres!"

"Amber, wait!"

I ran out into the open, where there was barren ground with ledges you could jump off of. And across from me, on the ground below the ledge in front of me, was none other than Kaito Kaigun. Ceres was at his feet, ramming her head repeatedly into his shoe shouting profanities. He was looking down at the shroomish like, "What the hell is going on?"

"Kaito!" I shouted, and he snapped to attention. "What the f*ck are you doing here?!"

As soon as he saw me, a lazy, lopsided smirk formed on his lips. "Oi, if it isn't Amber. Long time no see. I'm just here doing my job. Heh."

Just then, Pyrite and Dodge burst out of the cave, running up to me. And then they noticed our little companion. Kaito just kept on smirking, and waved at them. Dodge tensed, his whole body going rigid, while Pyrite got his "Oh dear Arceus" face on.

"Hey there, bro and cuz!" he greeted them cheerily, his smirk transforming into a dazzling smile. "Wow, I never thought we'd meet up so soon!"

"...Don't call me that," Dodge snapped, scowling.

"Oi, but that's what we are, y'know," Kaito said, shrugging slightly. "Say, who's shroomish is this? It keeps on ramming into my shoe."

"...Ceres get back here," I grumbled.

_"But I gotta kick his a**!"_ she complained. _"D*mmit, if only I was a breloom!"_

Ugh, I didn't want to put up with this. I forced myself to stalk up to Kaito, and snatch up the shroomish before she got into some serious sh*t. But apparently it wasn't going to be so easy. Ceres squirmed in my arms with such a force she knocked me backwards. And I fell right into Kaito. He automatically caught me, stopping us both from falling down, his hands on my bare waist.

Ceres ripped herself out of my arms, landing down on the ground, skidding in the dirt. What the f*ck-

"You have nice boobs," Kaito commented, looking down at me.

OKAY, F*CKING D*MMIT THAT WAS F*CKING IT! WHAT A F*CKING PERV! I WAS GOING TO KICK HIS F*CKING A** INTO F*CKING OBLIVION!

"What did you say to her?!" Pyrite demanded as I yanked away from him.

"Oi, dude, chill," Kaito said. "You can't tell me you haven't thought she has nice boobs either, cuz. Heh heh."

OKAY HE WAS SO F*CKING DEAD!

"Ceres!" I shouted angrily. "F*cking fight this b**tard!"

_"With pleasure!"_ she exclaimed, leaping forward. _"Headbutt time!"_

Kaito was fast reacting as well. He pulled a poke ball out of his jacket, sending out whatever pokemon was inside.

"Empoleon, you're up!" he shouted. "Aqua Jet!"

To much of my horror, an empoleon materialized from the poke ball. Water exploded around it, and it launched itself at the shroomish. They collided, and Ceres was thrown back violently. Holy sh*t, this was not f*cking good!

"Ceres!" I cried, lunging forward to catch her.

She fell into my arms so hard I was knocked down onto my knees, and even then I skidded, scraping them on the rough ground. But that pain was nothing compared to the fact that yet another pokemon of mine might be seriously hurt.

But, to my relief, I could sense that she was still alive. Without another word, I quickly put my hand on top of the shroomish's head, and healed her. I felt a drain of energy as I did so, and I became drowsy. But I had to push that back because I was so not done finishing this battle.

"Oi, there's no way you can beat Empoleon with that thing," Kaito said, grimacing a bit. "I want a good, intense fight. It's no fun any other way. Dont'cha agree, Empoleon?"

The penguin nodded. _"Indeed."_

Ceres ripped herself out of my arms. _"Say that to my face, mothaf*cka!"_

And then the strangest thing happened.

The shroomish began to shudder, and then glow. Her body began to change shape dramatically. She evolved into a breloom in front of us. But how the hell was that possible?! Did it have to do with me healing her or something?

Ceres grinned viciously. _"I've been waiting for this! Mach Punch!"_

Her fist began to glow, and she leaped up into the air, slamming her fist into the empoleon's chest. It went down like a rock, and it couldn't get back up.

"...You were saying?" I taunted with a smirk, before pushing myself back up onto my feet.

Kaito sighed, running a hand through his sloppy dark blue hair. "There I go, opening my big mouth again. Heh." He lowered his arm and winked at me. "You're something else, cutie. Anyways, I guess I'll be going. We got everything we needed from here anyways. Catch ya later!"

"Hey!" I snapped. "I'm not done yet-"

But he had returned his pokemon and had somehow escaped away with the other grunts in mere moments. I just stood there, stunned, as my two friends joined me, their pokemon out. I guess they had been waiting to see if they needed to step in or not.

"Are you okay?" Pyrite asked me.

"...I'm fine," I grumbled, crossing my arms over my chest. "He had some f*cking nerve."

Dodge sighed. "It couldn't been worse."

"...Where's Carbuncle?" I asked, turning around slightly to look back at the cave entrance.

Pyrite and Dodge did the same, and we all looked back at the cave in silence for a couple of moments.

"...He said he was coming," Pyrite stated. "I guess he had better things to do, huh?"

Dodge slapped Pyrite on the shoulder. "Don't let it get to you, bro."

"He was creepy," I grumbled. "I mean, when's the last time you've seen someone who's missing their f*cking arm? And he was so d*mn hairy. It's gross."

Dodge snorted a laugh. "Arceus, you really are feeling better." He looked straight at me. "Newsflash, Ambs—humans are hairy. Both men and women."

"...Shut up," I snapped. "That doesn't mean I have to like it!"

"Oh Arceus," Pyrite sighed. "Can we just get moving again? We're almost to Lavender Town. And don't you want to find Gio, Amber?"

"...Yeah, yeah," I sighed. "Okay, let's go. "

And so we all returned our pokemon to their poke balls, and headed off to Lavender Town, where we would crash at the Pokemon Center to relax. Hopefully Gio would show up on his own... It wouldn't be easy looking for him without a flying pokemon.

* * *

><p><strong>This chapter is dedicated to my friend Magic (XxMagicDreamerxX) as a belated birthday present! I would have posted this on her birthday but my lack of internet screwed that up. Oh well. Better late than never!<strong>

**I honestly have no idea what I wrote**

**I just knew that Amber had to catch Ceres and that was it**

**IT ALL JUST HAPPENED OKAY**

**Have I mentioned how much I LOVE KAITO OH MY GOSH BAHAHAHAHAHA HE'S GREAT**

***cough***

**Anyways, a lot happened. Due to the early character development you wanted for Amber, she will be going through a lot of crap. The first arc was meant to be more upbeat and light, but thanks to what Amber goes through, it won't be anymore.**

**This chapter had a LOT of insight on Amber's character. I hope you understand her much better now. **

**She's very different from any protagonist I've ever written, man. **

**ANYWAYS**

**REVIEWS ARE LOVE**


	13. 12: Horror In Pokemon Tower

**Warning: This contains major spoilers if you have not read all of what I have posted of Forevermore. **

* * *

><p><strong><span>EVERMORE<span>**

**~Sequel Of The Forever Trilogy~**

**Chapter 12**

**Horror In Pokémon Tower**

_Tuesday, August 24, 5018._

_(Amber's POV)_

It was morning, but I didn't quite feel like getting up yet.

I was laying flat on my back, staring up at the ceiling of my room in the Pokemon Center. Juno was curled up on my chest, still, dozing. Jupiter was at the end of the bed, but I wasn't sure if he was still asleep. Last time I checked, Mars and Diana were sleeping next to each other. Ceres was off by herself guarding the door.

Never before in my life had I ever doubted my abilities. In my eyes, I had always been the best. There was no questioning it. But now that I was struggling, now that my rival had pointed out my deep rooted insecurities, I wasn't so sure anymore. Even though my pokemon loved battling and wanted to keep going. But what price would we pay next time?

I sighed, glancing down at the snoozing pikachu. Juno looked so calm and peaceful like that. Her striped back rose up and down slowly with her breathing. Was her life worth risking just so she could be happy battling?

I had no idea what to do anymore...

But...

Team Rocket was definitely up to some serious sh*t. And I couldn't let them get away with whatever they were doing... no matter how self-righteous Gio insisted they were. I had to find out the truth. All I knew right now was that they were collecting pokemon. But what for? Did they need pokemon for the grunts? Or for something else? Maybe an army?

Ugh... This sh*t was too complicated to think about in the d*mn morning.

I pushed myself up, startling Juno awake and knocking her down onto my lap. Jupiter's eye followed my movement from where he lay; he was awake after all. I ran a hand through my tousled, messy blonde hair.

"Good mornin' guys," I said tiredly.

_"Lemme sleep longer..."_ Juno mumbled, flopping back down on her belly next to Jupiter.

I rolled my eyes, and dragged myself out of the bed. "Fine, you get until I'm ready to go."

...

I met up with Pyrite and Dodge for breakfast. We fed ourselves and our pokemon while Dodge tried to lift the mood as we talked. It sort of worked, but I was too busy thinking. I wanted to get the Gio problem settled before I ventured into the Pokemon Tower for training and to pay my respects.

Over all, Lavender was a very somber town. It was quiet, but not in a serene way. It was... creepy. I would be lying if I said I didn't feel something here. I wasn't sure if the boys could sense it too, but I definitely did. I couldn't exactly place it. I felt like... I was being watched. I felt like there was so much sorrow here. That's why I was kind of feeling down and out of it. That had to be my Viridian powers, right?

Right now, we were leaving the Pokemon Center, all ready for the rest of the day.

"I guess there's no finding Gio today," I sighed. "Might as well tackle the Pokemon Tower then."

"I don't know, Ambs," Dodge said skeptically. "Maybe you shouldn't go there."

"...You're not taking what Gio said seriously, are you?" I scoffed.

But, due to what I was feeling... I was starting to wonder if he was right.

The three of us all stopped several yards away from the entrance of the Pokemon Center, moving so we could all face each other.

"I dunno," said Dodge, shrugging. "You just can't be too careful, y'know?"

"The only ghosts are ghost-type pokemon," I stated firmly.

"...Are you sure about that?" Pyrite asked me skeptically.

"What?!" I demanded, shocked. "You believe that sh*t too?!"

He sighed. "I just don't think visiting the Pokemon Tower is a good idea... You never know what could happen."

I opened my mouth to say something, but then a braviary dropped down from the sky. Gio of all people jumped off its back.

"Amber!" he exclaimed, his silver eyes wide. "You can't go into the Pokemon Tower! I won't let you!"

Gio's sudden return startled us all. I was so shocked I couldn't find my voice, and I always could find something to say.

"It's too dangerous," he insisted, stepping closer to me, abruptly taking my hands into his. "You have to trust me. Especially for you, when you're just developing your powers! You'll... draw unwanted attention to yourself! Please, Amber... I don't want anything to happen to you."

Still, I was speechless. He... really cared about me... Enough to come back and try to stop me even after I had been such a b*tch to him. Well, didn't he say... he liked me? But... uh... what kind of 'like' was this? Friendship like? Sibling like? Or... L-Like like?

Why the f*ck did this have to happen to me now?! I was already confused enough about Pyrite, but now Gio, too?!

"Please," he repeated, pleading. "You don't realize how bad it could be..."

"Uh..." I gulped, feeling my cheeks burning. "Your concern is sweet and all, but... I can take care of myself."

I guess I was just... caught off guard. No one had ever sounded so serious about me before. Well, that I could remember. The intensity of Gio's words shocked me, and just the way he was looking at me was...unsettling. Not in a bad way... I mean, I had always thought Gio was cute. But now, all of a sudden, with his more mature behavior, it made him seem older and more... hot. I couldn't stop staring at him.

"...This totally is not awkward at all," Dodge deadpanned from where he was standing next to me.

I flinched, pulling away from Gio. "S-Shut up!" I snapped, my face burning even more.

"Just stating the facts," he answered with a shrug.

"...Maybe you should listen to him," Pyrite said, and I looked over at him. If he had a reaction, he had either gotten over it quickly or was hiding it well. "Like Dodge said, you can never be too careful."

"I still want to play my respects to the dead pokemon," I said seriously. "I'm not going to pass that up just because someone's scared I could get hurt for some reason."

"Amber, please!" Gio exclaimed in desperation, and I looked back over at him. "Going into the Pokemon Tower will only bring you your downfall! The ghosts... They can find your weaknesses... Your greatest fears... And they'll turn them against you! Please, I don't want anything to happen to you!"

...What the hell?

"There are no such things as ghosts!" I snapped, finally having enough. "And I'm going! If you're so worried, why don't you come with me?"

Gio's eyes widened and he stepped back, shaking his head. "N-No... I... I can't go in there!"

Of f*cking course.

"...Dodge?"

"...Nah, I'm gonna stay out of this one, Ambs..." He scratched the back of his head.

Pursing my lips in agitation, I turned to the last person left.

Pyrite sighed. "Fine, I'll go with you."

"Yay!" I cheered, smiling up at him. "Let's go!"

"Amber-" Gio began again.

"Look, I'm sorry!" I retorted, interrupting. "I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry for what I said yesterday. I... was really stressed and I took it out on you. After this, to make it up, I'll do anything you want, okay? _Anything_. Just... let me do this, Gio."

His face fell, but then he forced himself to smile, though it was really strained. "It's fine... I forgive you... Just... be careful." He sighed, and looked up at Pyrite. "Take care of her."

Pyrite's expression had soured greatly. "Of course," he replied, his tone like ice. "Come on, Amber. Let's get this over with."

I nodded, and then looked back at my two friends who were staying behind. "Don't have too much fun while we're gone, okay?"

Dodge laughed. "We'll see. Later, Ry, Ambs! Be safe!"

So Pyrite and I left Dodge and Gio, heading off in the direction of the Pokemon Tower. He was oddly quiet, but I decided not to press him. He had been in a sour mood ever since Carbuncle vanished yesterday. The last thing I wanted to do was make him angry with me. I needed him to have my back in the tower. We needed to be... a team.

Yeah... a team. I smiled just thinking about it. But when I glanced over at my companion, my smile faded.

"Hey, Pyrite," I said, catching his attention. "Why're you so gloomy?"

His gold eyes flickered over at me briefly before looking back ahead of him. "You'll think it's stupid."

"I will not!" I insisted. "C'mon, you can tell me! That's what friends are for."

He sighed heavily. "It's... Carbuncle."

"What about him?" I asked curiously.

"I... think he's my dad," he confessed, his hands clenching into fists. "But he just left us... right when Team Rocket was getting serious! He could have stopped all of that. He could have done something. You... wouldn't have gotten hurt. Kaito wouldn't have gotten away."

Oh... Really? Now that I thought about it, they did share a ressemblance. And it was better than thinking his dad was dead, right?

"I'm sure he has his reasons," I said, trying to reassure him. "But yeah, that would've been nice." I glanced down at my skinned knees; I had rolled down my lucky socks so they could have air. Yeah, that definitely would have been nice. And less painful.

Pyrite sighed again. "I keep on telling myself that... But I wish everything wasn't so confusing. I just want some answers, you know?"

I nodded in agreement as we stopped in front of the Pokemon Tower. "It'll be okay, Ry... I'm sure it will! But right now we need to focus on this!"

I looked up at the Pokemon Tower. It was off-white, looming above us menacingly, like it was taunting us to dare enter it. A shiver ran down my spine as I thought I felt a faint cold touch on my elbow. I froze up.

"...Did you touch me?" I asked.

Pyrite blinked. "No...?"

"Oh. Well, never mind. Let's go inside." It had to just be my imagination, right?

I stepped up to the door, and pulled it open. Pyrite took it from me as he followed me inside. A vast room stretched out before us. It was empty; not a single person was around. The vacant silence chilled me, like the tower was already doomed us. But I couldn't let this faze me! I was going to get to the top if it was the last f*cking thing I did!

"Where is everybody?" Pyrite asked, frowning, as we walked further into the first floor. "There are supposed to be channellers around here to help visitors and stuff. Or at least that's what my mom old me."

"...Your mom tells you a lot," I deadpanned.

"...Shut up," he said defensively. "At least my mom is around to tell me things."

I flinched, and scowled. He was talking about how my mom was always busy with her job as the Viridian Gym leader. Sure, she still made time for us kids, but it was my dad who mainly raised us. That's why Cory was so feminine, and even Lazuli, a tomboy like me, had girlish tendencies. So far, Blaze and Bolt weren't showing any signs of that yet; it was probably because Mom was around a lot more after they were born. And Dad limited his girly behavior to his work more now that he was getting older.

"Let's not talk about that," I sighed. "We're here to train and honor the dead pokemon that rest here."

"...Right," he agreed after a moment, his voice still a little icy. "Come on, then."

Pyrite led the way to the stairs. Our shoes' thuds echoed in the vast area. The closer we got to the stairs, the colder the air became. By the time we reached them, it was so cold I had goosebumps, my hair was standing on end, and I could faintly see my breath. That f*cking made no sense.

"Why's it so d*mn cold?" I demanded as we stopped at the base of the stairs. "Arceus, it's f*cking late August. They're not supposed to have air conditioning in here, are they?"

Pyrite opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted.

A woman suddenly came running down the stairs. But this woman was dressed rather oddly, and her hair was wild. Pyrite pulled me out of the way as the woman reached us. She skidded forward on the floor, before whipping around to face us, breathing heavily.

"What the hell is your f*cking problem?!" I demanded angrily, yanking away from my friend.

But... something was not right with this b*tch. Her eyes... were dark. Her heavy breathing was like some sort of wild, vicious pokemon's. She was leaning forward, baring her teeth like a pokemon too.

"...Are you... okay... ma'am?" Pyrite asked slowly, cautiously walking up to stand next to me.

The woman hissed, spit flinging out of her mouth. How f*cking nasty could you get?!

"You... should... not... be... here..." the woman snarled, the voice coming out of her mouth not lady-like at all. "Child... of... the... _forest_..." She spat out the last word, more spit whipping out.

Was that referring to me...?

"If... you... do... not... leave..." she hissed. "You... will... _pay_...!"

What the f*ck was that supposed to mean?

"Uh, Amber... Maybe we should leave..."

I whipped around to look at Pyrite. "Are you insane?! I'm not leaving just because some crazy a** b*tch wants me to!"

"Very well..." the woman hissed. "Then you shall pay dearly..."

This was just a bunch of bullsh*t-

The pyscho pulled a poke ball out of her robes, and released the pokemon inside. A gastly appeared before us.

I had seen gastly before in drawings and photos, but this was the first time I saw one in person, and for some reason, it scared the utter sh*t out of me. I froze up, and the gastly pulled its lips back in a hideous sneer.

I admit it, I screamed like a little girl.

Something about that gastly just sent me into a panic attack. I was absolutely paralyzed with terror. I nearly collasped down on my knees. I was so freaked out I barely registered that Pyrite had sent out Ex to battle the gastly. I didn't notice when it was knocked out, or when the woman sent out another gastly. The next thing I knew someone was shaking me.

"Amber! Amber! Snap out of it!"

I blinked, finally coming to my senses. I looked up at Pyrite, who was gripping my shoulders firmly, the one who had been shaking me.

"W-What...?" I breathed. "I..."

"Why did you tell anyone you were afraid of ghosts?!" he demanded angrily, not happy with me at all. "Are you _insane_, wanting to explore the Pokemon Tower when you're afraid of ghosts?!"

I was... afraid of ghosts?

Now that I thought about it... I hated seeing pictures of ghost-type pokemon. I used to think it was because they were creepy... But I guess it was a lot more than that.

"I... I don't remember being scared of ghosts..." I got out. "B-But that gastly..."

Pyrite sighed heavily, letting me go. "We're leaving."

"No!" I cried as he started to turn around. "I can't leave now!"

He stopped, and turned halfway to look at me. "Why not?"

"Because... I have to face my fears," I declared firmly. "I can't keep on running away from what scares me! I may not be able to overcome my fear of the dark... But I have to try with this! I don't even remember why I'm scared of ghosts! Please, Ry! Stay with me!"

Pyrite sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Fine, I'll go with you. But only because I think you're an idiot and don't want you to get into trouble."

I rolled my eyes. "What could happen?"

Pyrite gave me a "Are you serious?" look and pointed down at the woman, who I finally noticed was unconscious on the floor. "She was possessed by something. It didn't leave her until Ex defeated all her pokemon."

The quilava nodded. _"Yup! That was really weird!"_

What the hell was going on here...?

"Whatever," I said, shrugging. "I doubt it'll happen again. C'mon, we gotta get moving! If we take too long, Dodge and Gio'll get worried!"

"All right, all right! Arceus. If anything happens, it's all on you, Amber."

...

The second floor was also void of life. Small tombstones lined the floor. There were so many, there was barely any path to walk around. It... made me sad to see so many graves. We walked through in silence. It was... sobering... to see all of this. I wondered how many of these little graves belonged to soldiers in the War.

I wondered if any of my parents' pokemon were here, if they lost any.

It was a bit chilly in here, but nothing like how cold it had been downstairs. And when I thought about it, the atmosphere returned to normal when that woman fell unconcsious. That was weird.

_"...Amber..."_

I turned to look at Pyrite, who was walking beside me. "What?"

He glanced at me, confused. "What?"

"...Didn't you just say my name?" I asked in confusion.

"...No..." he replied slowly, frowning. "I didn't say anything..."

I stopped dead in my tracts, and he did the same. "I swear I heard someone just call my name."

"I didn't hear anything," he told me, sounding a bit concerned.

"...Not a sound?"

"Nope."

...Great, I was going crazy now. "Whatever," I sighed. "Let's keep going."

As long as we didn't run into any ghost pokemon, I should be fine. The tower itself wasn't that scary. I felt absolutely fine right now.

But barely had I taken a couple steps when I heard it again.

_"...Amber..."_

I stopped again. Ry halted when he noticed I had stopped, and he turned around to face me.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I heard the voice again," I informed him, starting to get a bit freaked out.

_"...Amber... Come to ussss... We missss you... We want to play..."_

Okay, this wasn't f*cking funny anymore. This was really p*ssing me off.

"Hey!" I snapped, turning around. "Whoever you are, knock it off! The joke isn't funny! And if you don't stop, I will f*ck you up! You hear me?!"

"Amber!" Pyrite exclaimed in shock. "Knock it off! Nobody is playing a trick on you!"

"But I keep on hearing a voice!" I cried, throwing up my arms.

"Amber..." he sighed. "We're in the Pokemon Tower, alone, surrounded by rotting corpses. What do you think would be talking to you other than me?"

"..." My hands clenched into fists as I struggled to keep my cool. "T-There... is no... such thing... as g-ghosts... Only ghost-type pokemon!"

_"...Amber... We are very real... Come play with ussss..."_

I clapped my hands down on my ears. "S-Shut up!"

_"...Ambyyy... Coooome to ussss... O child of the forest..."_

I froze, my whole body becoming rigid. 'Amby'? I hadn't been called that in years. The last time someone used that nickname on me was when I was seven or eight. Or something. I wasn't quite sure. My memory was blurry around that time for some reason...

"Amber, are you sure you want to keep going?" Pyrite asked me skeptically once I had removed my hands from covering my ears.

"Y-Yes!" I insisted. "I'm not gonna let some stupid voice keep me down! Let's go!"

Though I was putting on a bravado, I was really starting to get creeped out. Pyrite sighed, and then we continued on in silence. The voice didn't bother me again until we reached the next floor.

...

The third floor was nearly identical to the second floor. Pyrite still had Ex out to deal with any wild ratatta we came across. I had also released Jupiter to chip in. It was colder on this floor, cold enough to give me goosebumps again.

_"...Amber... We have something important to tell you... Very important..."_

I gritted my teeth, my hands clenching into fists. Pyrite noticed, but didn't say anything. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to be grateful for that or not.

_"...You shouldn't exist..."_ a much gruffer, nastier voice growled. _"You should never have been born..."_

WHAT?!

_"Die... Die... Die... Die..."_

I... shouldn't exist? I wasn't supposed to be alive? What in the name of Arceus was that supposed to mean? I...

"Amber?" I snapped out of my daze to see Pyrite looking down at me with concern. "Are you okay?"

_"Die... Die... Die... Die..."_

I squeezed my eyes shut. "They won't shut the f*ck up."

_"Die...! Die...! Die...! Die...!"_

"...We can always turn back," he told me gently.

_"Die...! Die...! Die...! Die...!"_

"No," I responded, shaking my head. "I have to do this. I can't give up."

_"Die! Die! Die! Die!"_

He sighed. "Suit yourself."

_"Die! Die! Die! Die!"_ the voices continued to chant, fading out into a incoherent mumbling in the background that did not stop.

I really wanted to get this over with now.

...

I picked up my pace, rushing through the next few floors. Pyrite and the pokemon barely were able to keep up with me. Still, we hadn't bumped into a single ghost-type pokemon. The only thing keeping me aware that we weren't alone was the mumbling that I could only hear. I was surprised I didn't have a headache.

I moved so fast, I didn't even realize when I had accidentally seperated from my companions. I had lost count of the floors, but this was one more open than the rest. There were the typical, small tombstones, but now there were also large tombs that laid flat on the ground. Intrigued by this, I stopped and turned to where I thought Pyrite was.

"I wonder what-" I cut myself as soon as I saw that I was alone.

Sh*t.

This was bad.

This was really f*cking bad.

I was so screwed.

Jupiter was even gone.

"P-Pyrite?" I breathed, hoping that maybe, just maybe, he was nearby. "You there?"

Silence.

Sh*************t.

I was alone. In the Pokemon Tower. That was filled with ghosts. That I was afraid of.

I was such an idiot.

_"...Amber..."_ a menacing, guttural voice called. _"...You are alone..."_

Holy sh*t, what-

Something growled right behind me. The temperature dropped, chilling me to the bone. Goosebumps popped up on my skin, and my hair stood on end. I could hear something breathing, and I could feel the icy breath on my neck. I was so terrified, I couldn't move. I could hear and feel the ghost's breath. I knew I was in danger.

In the Pokemon Tower, there were fire lamps on the walls, lighting up the floors. And just then, every single fire went out, leaving me in pitch darkness.

I screamed, and dropped down to the ground. I felt surrounded by the black, like it was squeezing and suffocating me. I had been scared before, but now I was scared sh*tless. I pulled up my knees and wrapped my arms around my legs, trying to calm down my breathing, as tears began to stream down my face.

And suddenly the voices began to speak to me, whispering in my ears, as the chant once again became coherent.

_"Die! Die! Die! Die!"_

_"...You are alone..."_

_"Die! Die! Die! Die!"_

_"...No one likes you..."_

_"Die! Die! Die! Die!"_

_"...Your parents are disgusted by you... They hate you... You will never please them..."_

_"Die! Die! Die! Die!"_

_"...You will never be as great as your family..."_

_"Die! Die! Die! Die!"_

_"...You are a disgrace to the Rosso-Senri name..."_

_"Die! Die! Die! Die!"_

_"...You shouldn't even be alive..."_

_"Die! Die! Die! Die!"_

_"...Your friends just pretend to like you..."_

_"Die! Die! Die! Die!"_

_"...Your pokemon hate you..."_

_"Die! Die! Die! Die!"_

_"...You're a failure..."_

"S-Stop!" I choked out through my tears, hugging my legs tighter. "Just leave me alone!"

_"Hehehehehehe..."_

_"Die! Die! Die! Die!"_

_"...You're so weak..."_

_"Die! Die! Die! Die!"_

_"...Who would ever love you...?"_

_"Die! Die! Die! Die!"_

_"...You don't deserve anyone's love..."_

N-No... That couldn't be true! There was no way that was true! ...R-Right?

Who was I kidding? They were-

"AMBER!" I heard Pyrite call from somewhere nearby, cutting off my thoughts. "WHERE ARE YOU?! AMBER?!"

He was... looking for me?

...Of course he was! R-Right?

"PYRITE?!" I shrieked, my voice cracking, as I forced myself up onto my feet. "PYRITE?!"

My whole body was trembling. The darkness around me seemed to swirl, like it was out to get me, to suffocate me. I tried to wipe away my teary face with my arm. I had to get a grip on myself. I... didn't want him to see me like this... no matter how scared I was.

"AMBER?! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

"I'M OVER HERE!" I choked out, trying to hold back a sob.

It was cold. It was so, so cold. I took a couple steps forward, towards the direction Pyrite's voice had come from. I had to find him. I needed to find him. I... needed him. I didn't want to be alone. I was so terrified.

I heard footsteps, and suddenly the familiar orange glow of Ex's fire and Jupiter's flaming tail came into view, revealing a very anxious looking Pyrite.

"Amber-" he began, relief flooding his features.

"PYRITE!" I cried, throwing myself at him.

He was caught off guard, and I knocked him down flat on his back. I had my arms around his neck, and he had instinctively put his arms around my waist. I honestly did not care that we were in a very compromising position. I was just so happy to see him; I wasn't alone anymore.

I pretty much lost all my sh*t then.

I just broke down, bursting into tears. My once silent sobs were loud, and I clung to Pyrite as if I was hanging on for dear life. He managed to sit up, pushing me back a little so I was on my knees. He awkwardly hugged me as I sobbed into his chest, clutching at his shirt.

"H-Hey," he said, his voice a little shaky. "It's okay now... I'm here..."

"D-Don't let me go," I begged, squeezing his shirt tighter in my fingers. "P-Please... Don't go anywhere..."

"A-All right..."

The next few minutes were spent me crying and Pyrite awkwardly trying to calm me down and make me feel better. Eventually my sobs slowed down to faint sniffles. Pyrite had begun to slowly, yet awkwardly rub my back in an attempt to help me calm down. I guess it had worked; my back was very sensitive. I loved getting back rubs or massages; I just liked my back being touched in general.

And feeling his hand run over my bare skin thanks to my cropped shirt made me realize a few things.

We were really close, probably the closest we'd ever been. I lifted my head from his chest, and our faces were mere inches apart. I could look straight into his gold eyes. And... they were... really beautiful. I could... get lost in them. How did I not notice this?

I... liked this feeling. This feeling of being close to him. He continued to rub my back, not realizing it was having the opposite effect on me than he intended. I couldn't exactly describe what it was doing to me, what it was making me feel.

I couldn't stop staring at him. All the negative feelings I had were gone. I felt... charged... just from him holding me, from him touching me.

What the f*ck was going on with me?!

He was... really... handsome... and hot... and...

"Amber...? Are you okay-" he began, noticing the change in me.

Without thinking, I smashed my lips to his, silencing him with a kiss.

His whole body froze. He was rigid as I kissed him, my hands clenching his shirt tightly. It felt so good... to do that... I could sit here and kiss him all day long.

Wait a second...

I WAS F*CKING KISSING PYRITE?!

I ripped away from him, throwing myself backwards. I skidded back on my butt, moving myself farther away from him. He was staring at me, his gold eyes wide with shock. Neither of us moved from where we were as suddenly the flames in the lamps burst back to life. I felt my whole face burn with embarrassment.

I... I couldn't believe I just did that.

Sh*t, what was I supposed to say now?!

"I-I-I'm sorry!" I sputtered out, still blushing furiously. "Uh... I didn't mean to! It's not like I wanted to kiss you! Oh, f*cking Arceus, P-Pyrite, are you-"

He sat up straight and smacked himself on his forehead. I shut up, wondering in horror how he was going to react to this. I could barely breathe.

"What... just... happened?" he asked slowly, still in shock.

Suddenly, I felt a cool breeze brush by, goosebumps popping up on my back. Once again, I could feel the faint breathing at the back of my neck. I froze in place as the fires dimmed, making it darker. The mumbling had returned, even louder in my ears.

"P-Pyrite," I breathed, gripping the hems of my shorts tightly. "There's... something here."

He blinked. "What...?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but then I heard a low growl sound from right behind me. Instead of my voice, a choked, short scream came out. I tried to move, but I wasn't fast enough. I felt searing pain slash down part of my back that was bare. I yelped, crashing back into Pyrite, nearly knocking him down again.

"W-What now?!" he demanded, shocked even more.

"Agh," I groaned, trying to push myself away from him, but my whole body was shaking. "S-Something... attacked me."

My lower back felt like it was on fire, my skin burning. Pyrite finally seemed to snap out of his daze, a serious expression forming on his face.

"Where?" he demanded, putting his hands on my shoulders to steady me.

"M-My back..."

He tilted to the side, attempting to get a look. I still couldn't stop shaking. Suddenly, he gasped, making me flinch. He tried turning me a little to look at whatever he saw better.

"Something scratched you," he gasped, his gold eyes wide. "You're... bleeding. There's three claw marks."

WHAT?!

I... I couldn't take this anymore.

I burst back into tears, leaning forward into Pyrite. He was slightly surprised by the sudden change again, but he awkwardly put his arms around me and let me cry into his shoulder.

"H-Hey... It'll be okay..." he said, his voice soft, obviously trying to comfort me.

"Why?" I sobbed, hugging him tighter. "Why didn't I just listen to him?"

...Because I was a stubborn idiot who always had to push herself and prove herself right. Every single time I got into some sort of mess, it was always my own d*mn fault. I didn't listen to anyone when they warned me. I was so stupid, so full of hot air.

"It's too late now..." Pyrite said softly, trying to calm me down. "But you can get through this... both of us can. You just have to believe in yourself, Amber. Where did all that confidence go?"

...Where... did all my... confidence go? Arceus, was he just asking me that to see if I knew myself or did he have no idea? After what Zircon had said to me, and then what had happened with Diana twice, my confidence has just plummetted. I eventually ended up feeling better, only to have it all come crashing down again.

And here I was, unable even to handle ghosts without losing my cool. I needed help from someone else. I hated that so f*cking much.

I wanted to go back to the way it was before, back when I wasn't so d*mn helpless. But I knew there was no going back now. I would be stuck like this, doubting myself, wondering if it was even worth it, pondering if I deserved my pokemon.

"I'm... not... strong enough," I choked out.

Pyrite pushed me back by my shoulders, forcing me to look him in the eye. "That's not true, and you know it. You are _very_ strong, Amber."

He believed in me... so why couldn't I believe in myself? My pokemon did, too... This kept on happening. What was wrong with me?!

I could... get through this... like I always did.

"R-Right," I breathed, pulling myself away from him. "I'm... okay... now." I think.

He smiled at me, and something about the smile just made me feel warm inside, like I was suddenly energized. "C'mon, let's go, then. Are you sure you still want to go to the top, though?"

He took my hand and pulled me up onto my feet. I staggered a bit, still shaking a bit. I realized Jupiter and Ex were still out of their poke balls. The shiny charmeleon and shiny quilava walked up to us. Jupiter stopped by my side, and Ex went to Pyrite. I brushed off my shorts, and pulled down my cropped shirt a little.

Did I really want to go the the top? Well...

"I... can't give up now," I said firmly, my voice still a little shaky. "We're more than halfway there! If I go back right now, the... ghosts will win. And I can't let that happen!"

I guess you could call me brash and reckless, but I had to finish what I had started.

Pyrite sighed. "Are you absolutely, positively sure?"

I nodded, looking down at my starter pokemon. "You think we can do it, Jupiter?"

The charmeleon nodded. _"We can do anything we set our minds to."_

I grinned. "That's the spirit!" I looked up at Pyrite. "C'mon, we can do this, Ry! If we keep positive, the ghosts will have less to use on us."

He sighed again. "Okay, fine. Let's get this over with."

...

The next few floors when by without a single incident. Even the mumbling in the background had ended. It was peaceful, almost. We had to battle some wild pokemon, but they were only normal-types; no ghost-types made any appearances, much to my relief. We were really getting some training in, like my original intention.

Still, it was... awkward.

I had, after all, kissed Pyrite in an extreme lapse of sanity. And... I... had liked it... a lot. I had no idea what was going on in my f*cking head or what. Or maybe it wasn't my head. I was just so confused and I didn't know what to do. Pyrite wasn't saying anything, but I highly doubted it wasn't on his mind. I think I was more p*ssed at myself than anything else.

I mean, seriously?! Why the hell would I kiss that b**tard?!

Ugh, everything was so f*cked up.

Suddenly, Jupiter froze up. We all stopped as well. I frowned, turning around to face the charmeleon. His lips pulled back, baring his pearly white fangs and a low growl escaped from his throat. Ex tensed as well, like both pokemon could feel something.

"What's wrong, Jupiter?" I asked hesitantly.

_"...Amber... You cannot escape us..."_ a eerily airy voice breathed in my ear.

What the-

_Ooooooaaaaaauuuuuuuhhhh..._

"What... was that?" Pyrite asked slowly, his eyes widening.

Jupiter hissed, clenching his claws into fists. _"They're coming."_

"...Who the f*ck are 'they'?" I demanded.

The gold charmeleon looked up at me, his eyes startling calm. "The ghost-types, of course. We are almost to the top. They must stop us."

...Sh*t.

Just then, they materialized, surrounding us—gastly, haunter, and even f*cking _gengar_. It took all my willpower not to lose my sh*t as soon as I saw all of them. I was absolutely horrified. I had never seen so many ghost-type pokemon at once before. My heart was pounding so hard in my chest I thought it would rip out.

"Stay calm," I heard Pyrite say as I backed up closer to him. "Deep breaths, Amber."

"R-Right," I breathed, nodding faintly. "Gotta stay calm."

"I suggest letting out another pokemon," he said, and I glanced over at him slightly to see that he had taken out another poke ball. "To even out the odds."

That probably would be a good idea. I flipped open my bag, trying to stop my shaking, as the ghosts edged closer. Ex let out a warning flare of fire, pushing them back. Jupiter hissed, taking a step forward, making them edge away even more. I pulled out a poke ball, gripping it so tightly my fingers were turning white.

Stay calm, Amber, you could totally f*cking do this.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. I was scared as hell, but I could still do this. I could handle it. This was a fear I could face. This was a fear I could conquer. I could overcome this. Yes, it wasn't impossible.

My eyes shot open, and I lifted the poke ball in my hand. I was ready.

"Let's go, Mars!" I exclaimed, releasing the raticate. "Crunch!"

The mouse pokemon appeared in a flash of light, and without further ado, lunged at the nearest gastly and sunk his fangs into its gaseous body. The ghost-type shrieked and evaporated as it fainted. I grinned as Mars landed back on the ground.

"Now, Jupiter, Flamethrower!" I commanded.

The shiny charmeleon bared his fangs, a ball of fire forming in his mouth, which exploded in a stream of fire. Jupiter turned his head so the flames hit several ghost-types in a row. All streaked and exploded into nothing as they fainted.

"That's it!" Pyrite exclaimed from behind me; I could hear the grin in his voice. "All right, Ex, use Flame Wheel! Zahn! Use Dark Pulse!"

The quilava's flames exploded as the pokemon leaped forward, surrounding his body with fire. Ex rolled forward with wicked speed, slamming into a gengar that had dared to move closer to us. The ghost-type wasn't knocked out, though, d*mmit.

The deino, on the other hand, did absolutely nothing. He just stood right where he was, and I swore he even yawned. Zahn wasn't listening to Pyrite.

"C'mon, Zahn!" Pyrite exclaimed. "Use Dark Pulse! Finish off the gengar!"

Zahn didn't budge an inch.

"He's not listening to me," Pyrite breathed, distraught. "Why not?! I don't understand..."

"There's no time," I said, returning my attention to my own pokemon. "We have to finish this!"

"I know," he sighed. "Zahn, return."

But the deino did not want to go back into his poke ball. I looked back at them just in time to see Zahn whip around, bare his fangs, and lunge at Pyrite as he tried to return him to his poke ball.

"No!" I cried in horror. "Jupiter, Dragon Pulse!"

The charmeleon leaped forward, a pulse of blue energy shooting out of his jaws. The attack hit the deino before he could reach Pyrite. Zahn collapsed, nearly knocked out, if not unconcsious. His trainer hastily returned him, shocked by what had just happened.

And the ghost-types decided to make their move then, too, of f*cking course.

Suddenly, all around us, corpses of pokemon began to burst out of their graves, the mist of gastly spreading out around us.

This time, I did scream.

Out of nowhere, a haunter appeared right in my face, leering hideously at me. I choked on my own scream, stumbling backwards, landing right on my a**. I tried to crawl back away from the haunter, wanting to get as far away from it as possible.

Mars leaped out in front of me, sinking his fangs right into the haunter's face, using Crunch. The ghost-type screeched in pain, moving backwards. But Jupiter was behind it. The charmeleon spat Ember at the haunter, and then it fainted, disappearing into the air.

_"You okay, Boss?"_ Mars asked me.

"...I'm fine," I got out, pushing myself back up onto my feet. "Thanks, guys."

_"No problem, Boss!"_

_"It was nothing, Amber."_

When I turned back around, Ex had managed to take out half of the wild pokemon, along with Fehler. Pyrite must have released the yanmega. I returned my attention to the ghost-types near me, and decided to get it over with. This... wasn't so bad.

As long as I had my pokemon by my side, I would be okay.

...

We finally seemed to have reached the top. I had no idea how long we had been in here. I just knew I was f*cking tired and hungry. When we got back to the Pokemon Center, I would totally stuff my face and then collapse on the bed in whatever room I got and pass out. All of this was draining.

"We're almost done," Pyrite told me as we stepped onto the final floor from the stairs.

"Thank Arceus," I sighed; this experience had been traumatizing along with draining.

I would never, ever forget what those ghosts had done to me.

"My mom said that the pokemon buried on top of the Pokemon Tower belonged to the leaders of the Resistance," he informed me. "I wonder if any of our parents' pokemon are here..."

"I don't think so..." I replied softly, looking down at a tombstone. "My mom has all her pokemon, and so does my dad."

"...I wonder if my dad's pokemon are here..."

I looked up at him silently. I wished there was something I could say to comfort him. Why couldn't his dad be alive? Or maybe, you know, come back from wherever the hell he was?

"I doubt it," I said at last. "He was supposed to be f*cking bad*ss. His pokemon can't die if they're that powerful, y'know?"

He sighed, and then nodded. "True. Let's go..."

He stepped forward quietly, leading the way deeper into the floor. I followed him, not saying a word. There was nothing to say... Jupiter and Ex followed suit.

But when we got to the center, we stopped dead in our tracts, caught by surprise that we were not alone. There was a man standing in front of a rather large tombstone, his back to us. He appeared to be looking down at the grave, pondering something. Did he have a connection to that pokemon?

"Uh, hello?" I said, speaking to him.

The man turned around, and I nearly gasped outloud. He had to be around twenty, and was what they would call a pretty boy. He had delicate features, and was rather effeminate. He looked kind of thin, not quite scrawny, but I couldn't notice any muscle. He had shaggy dark brown hair that fell into his eyes, and cascaded down to the base of his neck. His eyes were startling light blue, with a silvery tint. He was wearing a fancy-schmancy white dress shirt, and black slacks.

"Why did you come here?" he asked, his voice smooth and calm. "To honor the pokemon whose deaths were caused by their trainers?"

...What the hell?! What the f*ck was that supposed to mean?!

"Excuse me?" Pyrite asked, raising an eyebrow. "Trainers don't cause pokemon to die. The pokemon here died of natural causes or were killed in the War."

The man laughed. "The war was caused by their trainers. This is why humans and pokemon were seperated in the first place, yes?"

I stayed silent. I didn't know what to say to that.

"...I can't deny that," Pyrite admitted relunctantly.

"And yet being a trainer is once again legal," he sighed, shaking his head. "You both are related to some of the leaders of the Resistance, aren't you? You look like a few of them."

"...Yeah," I replied stiffly. "I'm Amber Rosso-Senri, and this is Pyrite Kimu. Who're you?"

"I am called Lancelot," he said. "I implore you to reconsider your relationships with your pokemon. Don't let them end like these poor souls. Now, I must take my leave."

Pyrite and I stepped aside, letting him walk by. We watched him leave in silence, not really knowing how to respond. We joined back up once he was gone, our pokemon with us.

"...That guy's f*cked up," I deadpanned. "The trainers didn't kill the pokemon in the war! The d*mn Government did! He needs to get his f*cking facts straight."

"Yeah," Pyrite agreed, scowling a bit. "Let's finish up here and then go."

I nodded, turning forward to go check out the large tombstone in the center. But what I saw written on that slab of stone was not what I expected.

_Rubin Senri_  
><em>March 1, 4983 - June 16th, 5001<em>  
><em>Beloved husband and brother<em>  
><em>You will be sorely missed<em>

I just stared, my eyes widening with horror.

That was impossible.

My dad was alive, otherwise I wouldn't exist.

But wait... Didn't the ghosts say once I shouldn't exist?

Oh my Arceus...

I... I...

My dad... died?!

What the hell was going on?!

I loved my dad! He couldn't have died! He was way too strong for that! He... H-He...

"Amber? Are you okay? What's wrong?"

I flinched, and then whirled around to face Pyrite. "Don't you see that?!"

Pyrite started a little. "See what? It just says a pokemon's name... Not a pokemon we'd know, either."

I looked back over at the tombstone. It had changed.

_Fuego_  
><em>July 11, 4980 - January 2, 5002<em>  
><em>Beloved Arcanine and family guard<em>  
><em>Rest in peace, buddy<em>

...What?

"B-But... But it just said..." I breathed, pointing lamely at the stone slab. "I swear it just..."

"You're tired, Amber," he said gently. "This place is messing with you, too. We really should get out of here. Are you satisfied now?"

My arm fell back to my side. "Y-Yeah... Let's go..."

But something told me there was more to what I saw than just me being tired...

...

Barely had we stepped inside the Pokemon Center when I was jumped; okay, I wasn't really jumped but I felt like I was.

"AMBER!"

The next thing I knew I was being squeezed to death by Giovanni Sakaki. My face was smashed into his chest and I was lucky enough he didn't touch the cuts on my back.

"I was so, so, so worried about you!" he cried, hugging me even tighter.

"You're... squeezing... me..." I got out in a muffled voice as Dodge finally joined us.

"Oh! Sorry!" he exclaimed, letting me go. "Are you okay?!"

I stumbled back, nearly bumping into Pyrite but he grabbed my shoulders and steadied me. I straightened up, pulling away from him, feeling my cheeks begin to burn again. Dear Arceus, I would be fine if I hadn't f*cking kissed him!

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine," I said, trying to get a grip on myself. "Just a little scratched up, that's all."

"I think it's a bit more than 'just a little'," Pyrite deadpanned.

"What happened?" Dodge asked, a concerned look on his face.

I grimaced, wondering how the hell I was supposed to answer that. A lot happened. A f*cking lot. The answer depended on what he wanted to know.

"It's a long story," Pyrite sighed, answering everything for me. "We... rather not talk about it. Though Amber does need an injury tended to."

Gio's eyes widened. "Where?! I'll heal it!"

"Slow down!" I cried. "I need food for the love of Arceus!"

"Are you craving something, Amber?" Dodge teased lightly.

I scowled at him. "I'm craving my fist in your face!"

"Okay, both of you, stop," Pyrite sighed, obviously not in the mood to put up with anything. "We'll get some lunch and then you can handle the healing, Gio."

"All right," he said, seeming a bit relieved. "Let's hurry, then!"

...

A few minutes later, we were sitting at one of the booths in the cafeteria section of the Pokemon Center. I was sitting next to Gio, with Dodge and Pyrite across from us. Gio had discovered my injury, and had nearly flipped tables. I had asked him to wait until we all had eaten something, so he was forcing himself to hold back and wait.

We had food now, and were eating. I had to force myself not to stuff my face with it. I had never thought any food would taste as good as it did now.

"This is so good," I groaned happily, staring at my plate in bliss. "I could eat this all day."

"Isn't that unhealthy?" Gio asked innocently, looking at me. "Ruzova always nags Altan when he eats a lot..."

...Ugh, why did he have to mention them? I'm pretty sure my expression soured.

Gio blinked a little. "Oh, um, but it doesn't matter! You can do whatever you want, Amber! I mean, I don't care... You're great anyway you are."

Aha... Ahahahaha... Ugh.

"...Thanks," I said before returning my attention to my meal. "Soooo good!"

Dodge sweatdropped, while Pyrite narrowed his eyes slightly. I took a bite of food and began to chew, savoring it all. But then I felt something touch my back, right where my cuts were. I jolted, spitting out whatever I had in my mouth back onto my plate. I felt a sharp tingle go up my spine. I looked over to see that Gio was the one who touched me.

"S-Sorry!" he exclaimed mareepishly, removing his hand from my back. "I know you said to wait but it just looked so painful!"

I looked down at my ruined plate, and then back up at Gio. The look on his face was just too pitifully cute to get mad at. I sighed.

"Okay, fine, but you have to buy me another lunch," I said firmly.

"I can do that!" he exclaimed, moving out of the booth and standing up. "Come on!"

Wow, that boy moved fast.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming, I'm coming!" I grumbled, sliding down the booth before standing up. "Be right back, guys."

I walked away with Gio, though he suddenly seemed to slow down. I glanced back at him and suddenly he stopped. I halted as well, and turned around to look at him.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked.

Gio sighed, and then shrugged. "I just... was really worried about you... I should have gone along just to make sure nothing happened... I mean, you got hurt!"

I'm pretty sure the expression on my face was not pleasant.

"I can take care of myself," I retorted defensively. "And Pyrite's very capable of helping me protect myself!"

"I-I didn't mean it like that!" he exclaimed in exhasperation. "I just... really care about you, Amber."

Not this again... Arceus, I could feel myself blushing again. How the hell was I supposed to respond to that?! I had no idea what to f*cking say. I was tongue tied yet again.

"Uh... um... Well... I..." My voice faded out as I struggled to find words.

Gio flushed, looking embarrassed that he had said that much. "Can I... hug you?"

I was caught by surprise yet again. I never expected anyone to ask me if they could _hug_ me. It seemed kind of silly. Hugs just came naturally sometimes, after all.

"Um... Sure?" I responded lamely.

The next thing I knew I was being gently embraced. It wasn't like earlier, like when I felt like he was squeezing me to death. It was nice and warm, and I honestly liked the feeling of his arms around me. I hugged him back, resting my cheek on his chest.

Gio was a really nice guy. Naive and innocent, yes, but nice. He didn't drive me crazy like Pyrite. His presence was calm and soothing.

I could get used to this.

* * *

><p><strong>I'M SORRY I COULDN'T WAIT TO POST THIS ASDFGHJKL<strong>

**...This wasn't as horrific as I originally thought it'd be**

**OH WELL**

**If the love triangle isn't obvious now I'll smack you with a wet noodle.**

**ALL OF THE SHIPPING AAAAAAAAAAAH**

**And the major N-S moment**

**Ehehehehehe**

**I've been planning this for a veeeeeeery long time**

**Next chapter I'll try to tone down on the shipping, make it more friend-shippy, BECAUSE YOU CAN'T FORGET THE BROMANCES**

**What else...**

**I think that's all.**

**REVIEW**


	14. 13: Mystery of the Raging Gyarados

**EVERMORE**

**~Sequel Of The Forever Trilogy~**

**Chapter 13**

**Mystery of the Raging Gyarados**

_Wednesday, August 25, 5018._

_(Dodge's POV)_

"That's it," I said, slamming my hands down on the table at our booth in the cafeteria of the Pokémon Center. Pyrite, Amber, and Gio all jumped in surprise. "Tell me what happened in the Pokémon Tower before I go _insane_. You both have been acting really weird since you got back. What. Is. Going. _On_?"

Okay, I had a high tolerance level. I really did. But when my two best friends were both acting very strangely, I knew they were hiding something from me. I wasn't a fan of secret keeping. I was honest to a fault, I guess. Pyrite wasn't talking as much, and he seemed out of it even. Amber was quiet as well, which was _totally_ out of character for her, and she kept on getting really flustered and embarrassed.

Pyrite looked up at me, his expression blank. He was really mastering that poker face of is. Where did he get that from? Definitely not his mom. Amber's face flushed bright as a cheri berry, and she looked down at her breakfast. Gio blinked in confusion, like usual.

"Well, don't ask me," Pyrite said, lifting up his coffee and taking a sip. "Amber is responsible for everything."

"I-I am not!" she sputtered, looking back up at him.

Pyrite rolled his eyes. "Right. It takes two to-"

"S-Shut up!" she snapped, leaning forward. "Don't talk about it!"

"No," he retorted, narrowing his startling cold gold eyes. "We need to talk about it."

Amber's face distorted into a pained grimace, her nose scrunching up. "Just... no... I can't..." She buried her face in her hands.

"...What... in the name of Arceus... _happened_?!" I demanded, scowling at both of them.

"I... I don't want to f*cking talk about it!" Amber growled, snapping back to attention, out of whatever funk she had been moments before.

"No," I snapped, glaring at her. "I'm not going to because you're my friends and I care about you. Both of you have been acting really weird ever since you came back from the Tower, and I wanna know _why_."

Pyrite sighed heavily. "It's a long story..."

Well, since Ry seemed to be more receptive, I decided to go with him. It was easier to talk to him sometimes anyways. Amber was just... too ornery nowadays. She was my friend and all, but when she wasn't in a good mood it was hell to be around her.

"Ambs, why don't you and Gio go somewhere?" I said, looking over at them. "Ry and I need to have a little talk. Alone."

She scowled. "Fine. Do whatever the hell you want."

Without another word, she pushed herself out of the booth, taking her food with her. Gio hastily gathered his things as well, and followed her, leaving me with Pyrite in silence. I stood up, taking my breakfast, and moved to sit across from my friend. He didn't budge an inch.

"Look, dude," I said, and he looked at me. "Can you please tell me what's going on?"

Pyrite stared down at his food. "I'm... so confused, Dodge."

"Confused about what?" I asked.

"Just... Amber... She... confuses me. One moment, she hates me, the next she likes me, and so on. And in the Pokémon Tower..." He scowled. "She... kissed me."

Okay, if I had been eating or drinking when he said that I would have spit it all out. What?! Was he freaking serious?! What was Amber _thinking_?! Wait, she probably wasn't. Ugh, these two were going to drive me mad before my little sister did.

"Dude," I said, trying to grasp the situation. "She _kissed_ you? Like a real deal kiss on the lips? Seriously? Amber Rosso-_I-Hate-Men_-Senri?"

"Yes," he deadpanned. "I'm pretty sure I would remember something like that."

I sighed heavily. "No wonder she's freaking out. She's probably more p*ssed at herself than you."

"Still," he said. "I don't know what she's trying to tell me. Does she like me or not? She keeps on trying to act like it never happened, but it did. I'm confused as hell right now. I don't know what to do, Dodge."

This was so freaking messed up. I didn't know what to tell him. Stuff like this usually didn't happen. Girls weren't normally confusing like Ambs, right? Then again, I didn't really know because I'd never had any girl problems before.

"I... don't know what to tell you, Ry," I sighed. "Amber is... really complicated."

Pyrite set his clenched fist on the table, staring at his untouched food. "And Gio..."

Dear Arceus, I totally forgot about that. Gio had made it pretty apparent he liked Amber more than just a friend. Arceus, why did everything have to be so complicated?! By the time we collected all the badges, I _would_ be insane.

"I tried to like him at first, but when he insulted my dad... I just couldn't anymore. And now..."

"...He's a threat," I clarified.

"...Yeah, basically," he sighed. "I never thought I'd worry about stuff like this..."

"Don't worry about it, bro!" I told him. "Just let it play out. Bide your time. If Amber likes you enough to kiss you, there's nothing Gio can do to change that. Especially when you've known each other longer! Right now, you need to focus on preparing for the Vermillion Gym and Rai."

He pursed his lips. "I suppose you're right... People keep on saying that Rai is super tough. Yeah, my whole life doesn't revolve around this. It's just... frustrating."

"You could be a bit nicer to her," I noted.

"Like how you could be nicer to Carnelian?" he countered.

Ouch.

"Okay, okay, you got me," I relented, raising my hands in surrender. "How about this: we both start being nice to the girls. So then we can call each other out if we need to."

"It's a deal," Pyrite said.

...

_(Amber's POV)_

I really wanted to get out of this d*mn town.

After all that sh*t that happened with the ghosts, I couldn't get rid of the creepy feeling that I was being watched. I couldn't relax in Lavender Town. I just wanted to get the hell out of here. For multiple reasons.

I threw my bag down onto the ground, my skateboard clattering inside. There was a wall lining the way to the next route that led to Vermillion. It was short, and had a smaller ledge where it began. I sat down on it, propping my elbows up on my thighs and resting my chin on my palms.

"Amber? Are you okay?"

I looked up to see Gio standing rather awkwardly, a few yards away. He seemed to be hesitating, uncertain about what to do. We both had eaten our food on the way to the edge of town.

"I'm fine," I lied, and he seemed to buy it. "Just _dandy_."

He frowned, fidgeting slightly. "Um... Did... Pyrite... hurt you?"

I snorted a laugh. "Ha! Good one! Pyrite's spineless. He couldn't hurt a d*mn fly."

Gio didn't seem convinced. "But he's such a strong battler..."

"So what?" I spat. "Ugh, I can't stand him."

Pyrite drove me insane. He made me nervous. He made me feel on edge. He made me do stupid stuff. He made me feel weird. I had no idea what to do around him anymore, how to react. What the f*ck was wrong with me?! Why was this happening now?!

...Because I kissed the b**tard.

F*cking d*mmit.

Gio didn't say anything. He probably didn't know how he was supposed to react to what I said.

I just wanted things to go back to normal. Whatever the hell normal was...

"Um... W-Well... I-I told you not to go into the Pokémon Tower!" Gio stammered.

"Don't f*cking remind me," I grumbled. "We met this weird-a** dude in the end, too. Said his name was Lancelot. He was f*cking crazy. He sounded like Team Plasma from ages ago. That was some crazy-a** sh*t."

Gio's silver eyes widened. "Team Plasma?! Lancelot?! At the top of the Tower?! So the rumors are true, then..."

I looked up at him, narrowing my eyes. "What the f*ck are you talking about?"

"Well, um..." He hesitated. "There's rumors... that there's another separatist movement or something..."

"I have no idea what the hell that is," I deadpanned. "And I haven't heard anything."

"A separatist is someone who wants to separate humans and pokemon," he replied. "You wouldn't hear it because-"

"Giovanni Sakaki."

Suddenly, he froze, cutting himself off. I kinda stopped in place too. The voice was kinda like ice, unsettling, obviously masculine. I forced myself to look up towards where it came from. Gio slowly turned around to face the man.

"F-Father?" he stammered in shock.

WHAT?

The man had to be in his early thirties. He was tall, probably standing at five foot ten, taller than my dad. He had short, neatly cut black hair, and deep crimson eyes that seemed to be burning coldly. Was that even possible?! He was kind of skinny and pale, like he was sickly with some sort of illness. He was dressed rather sophisticatedly, in a white dress shirt, black slacks, and a matching suit jacket. He looked vaguely familiar for some reason.

"Gio," he said, narrowing his steely eyes at the boy. "Why have you been refusing to come home?"

"Um, w-well," he stammered awkwardly, taking a step back away from his father, closer to where I was sitting. "I-I wanted to travel with my new friends..."

"Your duty always comes first, Giovanni," the man said sternly. "Even so, how many times have I told you that you cannot trust everyone you meet?"

Okay, that was f*cking rude.

"Excuse me?!" I shrieked, jumping to my feet. "That's f*cking offensive!"

The man, Gio's father, looked down at me. I swore a flicker of surprise flashed over his face, but it vanished as quickly as it came. I scowled, putting my hands on my hips. Gio stared at me, a horrified expression on his face.

"Who are you?" asked Gio's father.

"I'm Amber Rosso-Senri!" I declared. "I'm Gio's friend!"

"P-Please don't be angry, Father!" Gio hastily exclaimed, pointedly moving to stand in front of me. "Amber didn't mean any harm!"

"Hey!" I snapped, trying to look around him. "I can take care of myself!"

His father frowned. "My name is Johan Sakaki. You must be related to... _Topaz Rosso-Senri_."

"Yeah, yeah, she's my mom," I huffed. "What's it to you? You're not a f*cking veteran of the war too, are you?"

Like that creepy Carbuncle. Arceus. I was glad he was gone.

Johan's frown darkened into a scowl. "I am nowhere near close to being a veteran. And my connection to your mother is not of importance to you at this moment."

"Well, _excuuuuuse_ me, Princess!" I snapped.

"A-Amber!" Gio gasped in horror. "Stop it!"

"You are a very disrespectful child," John said, not very pleased. "Are you sure you're related to Topaz?"

Okay, that was f*cking it-

"Hey guys, what's going... on...?"

I looked over to see that Dodge and Pyrite had finished whatever the hell they had needed to talk about and had found us. Dodge had been the one who had spoken. He looked confused as hell. Pyrite looked wary, unsure of what was going on.

Johan turned around to face the two boys. "Who are you?"

Pyrite narrowed his eyes. "...I'm Pyrite Kimu, and this is Dodge Kaigun."

Johan tensed. His gaze moved to Dodge, and he seemed to eye him. "Kaigun, you say?"

"Yeah, so?" said Dodge, getting a grip on himself. "My dad's a member of the Elite Four."

"Um, guys," Gio began to say, and suddenly he grabbed my hand, pulling me with him as he walked closer to the two boys, passing his father. "Don't be alarmed! This is just my father! He just wants to make sure I'm traveling with good people!"

Dodge laughed. "Of course we're good!"

I felt my face heat up when I realized Gio was still holding my hand. Oh sh*t, what did I do?! I didn't want to hurt his feelings again or something! I had already messed up a f*cking lot with him, and I didn't want to do it again!

"U-um, Gio..." I got out. "C-Can I have my hand back...?"

Gio started, and looked down to see that he was, indeed, still holding my hand. "O-Oh, sorry!" He hastily let me go, looking embarrassed, too.

I tried not to look too flustered, but I doubted it was working. D*mmit, what was wrong with me?!

"Giovanni, you are needed back at home," Johan said, his voice like steel. "If you so insist, you can rejoin your 'friends' later, but for now you must come with me."

I really did not f*cking like his dad. What was his d*mn problem?!

"Okay, okay," Gio sighed, looking dejected. "I'll go home with you..."

"What, are you serious?" I demanded. "You're leaving us?!"

An alarmed look came across his face. "N-Not for good! I'll come back! I promise!"

"You better," I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest.

I walked over to rejoin Dodge and Pyrite. We watched in silence as Gio left with his father. He looked back behind him, and gave us one last wave goodbye. A few minutes later, they were gone, having disappeared back into Lavender Town.

"You guys ready to go?" I asked, looking over at them.

"...Yeah," Pyrite replied.

"What was up with Gio's dad?" Dodge asked as I walked over to get my pack, the two of them following me. "Something about him's just not right."

"He gives me the f*cking creeps," I scoffed, crouching down to grab my bag. "He was f*cking rude too."

"Maybe he knows your dad, Dodge," Pyrite offered lamely.

The blue-haired boy snorted. "Pfffft. I highly doubt it. The guy was probably just a kid during the war."

"...So were our parents..."

"Yeah, but they were still legal adults."

"Who gives a sh*t?" I asked. "Let's just get going already! I want to get out of this f*cking town."

"Jeez, chillax, Ambs," Dodge said. "Are you sure you're ready to leave? 'Cause we'll be in Vermillion in a couple of days."

"Yes," I answered stiffly. "I'm pretty d*mn sure."

...

_Earlier that day..._

_(Arylide's POV)_

"Oooooh Copaaaal-chan," I drawled, putting my face close to her ear.

It was early in the morning, around eight in the morning, and we were in our room in the Pokémon Center in Celadon City. Normally I would love to sleep in, but today was a special day and I had plans. There were three beds in the room, one for each of us, but I had gotten out of mine and decided to wake Copal up first.

There was no response.

"Copal-chaaaaaaan," I drew out, practically breathed in her ear.

Still, she kept on snoozing. D*mn, Copal sure was a heavy sleeper. A bomb could go off and she still would sleep on.

"Copal. Rosso. Senri."

The only thing she did was roll onto her back, mumbling something in her sleep. D*mn, she looked really cute when she was sleeping. She was all calm and not stressed about anything. I sighed heavily. Why did she have to do this to me?

"Okay, Copal-chan," I said, pushing myself up off the bed. "You asked for it."

I quietly returned to my bed, crouching down to get into my bag. I pulled out Sammy's poke ball. He was my samurott, my starter pokemon. The only way you could wake up Copal sometimes was to dump ice-cold water on her.

"Aryl...? What are you doing...?"

"Shhhh," I hushed my cousin from where she was sitting up on her bed. "I have to do this."

"Do what...?" she asked, sounding tired, rubbing her eyes. "Arceus, are you-"

"Sammy, Waterfall!"

The samurott appeared in a flash of light, and just like I commanded him, he blasted up into the air, using Waterfall, sending water crashing down on Copal in her bed. I heard her scream, and when Sammy landed on the ground in front of me, I saw the results.

Copal was sitting up in her bed, absolutely drenched. Her black hair was plastered to her head, water dripping from everywhere. Good thing she wasn't wearing white, because that would have been bad. Well, bad for her, not for me. Hehe.

"Good morning, Copal-chan!" I greeted her cheerily.

"A-Aryl..." she growled, her hands clenching into fists. "Was that really necessary?"

"Yup!" I exclaimed, smirking.

"Oh for the love of Arceus," Coral sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Awesome work as always, Samurai," I told my samurott, patting him on his head before returning him to his poke ball.

Copal did not look amused. "You're lucky it's your birthday, Aryl."

I grinned widely. That was what I was waiting for! Today was my sixteenth birthday. It probably wasn't such a big deal to some people, but it meant a lot to me. It was the one day dedicated to me, you know? I could be as crazy as I wanted and get away with it.

"Hehe," I snickered, winking at her. "You know you love me!"

"S-Shut up!" she chucked her soaked pillow at me.

"Heeeey!"

...

"So where do you want to go today, Aryl?"

All three of us had checked out of the Pokémon Center, and were now outside, ready to go. It was already getting pretty hot out, and it was only a little after ten in the morning. I pulled out my Pokegear and checked the map.

"Hmmm... Say, do y'know where Ambs, Ry, and Dodge would be right now?" I asked, looking over at my best friend and cousin.

"Uh... Probably around Lavender Town," Copal answered after a moment of thought. "Why?"

I smirked devilishly. "I was thinking we could pay 'em a little visit."

"Oh, Arceus, Aryl," she sighed.

I laughed. "Chill, Copal-chan! It'll be fun!"

"You just want to tease my little brother and Copal's little sister, don't you?" Coral deadpanned.

"That's only part of it!" I exclaimed defensively. "_Excuuuuuuse_ me for wanting to get to know the younger kids better!"

"I don't see anything wrong with that," Copal admitted slowly, to much of my relief.

"Yay!" I cheered, pumping my fist into the air. "Then what are we waiting for?! Let's goooo!"

I dashed forward, rushing past my friends. I was excited, ready to get moving. I hated idling anywhere. I needed something to do! There were so many places to go, people to meet, things to do! I was only sixteen years old. I still had so much ahead of me!

"Whoa, Aryl, slow down!" Copal called from behind me. "Who are you riding with?!"

Yeah, I had a flying-type—my female swoobat named Bat—but she wasn't big enough or strong enough to carry me, so I never bothered teaching her Fly. I would either have to ride with Copal on her charizard, or with Coral on her togekiss.

I skidded to a halt, and whipped around to face both of them. "With you, of course, Copal-chan!" I exclaimed with a devious smirk tugging at my lips. "'Cause you have the most room!"

That was my excuse, but I really preferred flying with Copal anyways. I got to be close to her for a short period of time, and she couldn't get rid of me. Ever since we had gotten older, especially after the sh*t that happened during second grade. People didn't realize that I had hard time forgetting things.

"Of course," Copal deadpanned, not amused. "Well, come on then."

I bounded up to her as she took out Charra's poke ball, and Coral took out Togie-chan's luxury ball. Copal rolled her eyes at me as she released her charizard. She climbed up onto the fire dragon's back as Coral released her togekiss. I hopped up behind her, putting my arms around her waist so to secure my position. I turned my head slightly so I could see that my cousin was all set too.

We were so close...

Nope, not gonna think about that.

"Are you ready?" Copal asked me, turning her head slightly so she could see me; Charra turned her head as well.

"Yup!" I answered, grinning at her. "Away we go!"

She rolled her eyes again, laughing a bit, before looking ahead again. "All right. Charra, up!"

The charizard unfurled her wings, and launched herself up into the air. She pumped her wings, pushing us higher up into the air. Coral followed suit on Togie-chan. I tightened my grip, leaning forward with Copal so Charra could increase her speed.

Man, she really smelled nice. Like lilacs or something. I took a deep breath of it.

"...Are you smelling me?" Copal asked suspiciously, turning her head to look at me, her sapphire blue eyes questioning.

"Ahahahaha..." I sweatdropped, my cheeks tingling. "It's not my fault you smell nice! Besides, it's my birthday! Be nice, Copal-chan!"

"Okay okay, jeez," she said, looking ahead again. "Chill out. I was just wondering."

We both grew silent as the flight continued. I tried to enjoy it, I really did. But I couldn't relax anymore. I felt all up on edge. I couldn't enjoy this time with Copal like this. Ugh.

"Hey! Something's up ahead!" Coral shouted to us.

Huh?

I leaned carefully to the side to look around Copal. There was something ahead of us, all right. It looked like some sort of large pokemon, half of its body above the water. As we got closer, I saw that it was a gyarados, and hoo boy, did it look _p*ssed_.

"Sh*t," I heard Copal mutter under her breath. "Charra-"

The charizard tucked in her wings, diving out of the way as the gyarados shot a vicious Hyper Beam at us. I swore the red-white beam grazed the tip of Charra's tail, barely missing us. Copal and I had to hang onto the charizard for dear life.

When a gyarados went on a rampage, it would destroy everything in its wake. This was f*cking bad.

Charra unleashed her wings abruptly, halting our descent jarringly. Copal gasped in pain, losing her grip somewhat on the charizard's shoulders. I quickly pushed her up, stopping us from sliding down Charra's back any further. She wrapped her arms around the charizard's neck.

Sometimes I forgot that even after all these years, Copal was still weaker than me.

"Are you okay?" I asked quietly, my hands still on her shoulders.

"Y-Yeah," she got out, grimacing slightly. "Just... got hit right in the boob."

I couldn't help but snicker a little.

"S-Shut up! It's not funny! How would you like to be hit in the boob?!"

I just laughed harder, accidentally pushing her forward, leaning into her back. She jabbed out with her elbow, hitting my ribs. I couldn't stop laughing. Oh my Arceus, bahahahaha!

"You're... too... good... Copal-chan!" I choked out, tears pricking at my eyes.

"W-Will you stop it?!" she stammered. "The gyarados-"

Just then something happened. The wild gyarados suddenly stiffed. Charra flew closer to Togie-chan, albeit cautious. I glanced at Coral, and she just shrugged. We both looked back out to the gyarados. The water dragon began to lower itself back into the water, disappearing entirely.

We all just hovered there in silence on our pokemon.

"...What the hell just happened?" I deadpanned.

"I... have no idea," Copal breathed in astonishment.

...

_(Amber's POV)_

This route was basically never ending wooden dock-bridge-things over water. They seemed to go on forever. Like, how long was this going to f*cking take us?! I was already getting impatient.

I just... felt awkward... without Gio around. It was just Dodge, Pyrite, and me again. And after what happened...

F*ck it all.

"F*cking d*mmit," I muttered under my breath as we walked along.

"Huh? What was that, Ambs?" Dodge asked, looking over at me.

"Nothing," I sighed, stuffing my hands into my pockets.

The two boys stayed silent, not questioning my dismal mood. I was grateful for that. I was trying to avoid thinking about how I screwed everything up. D*mmit.

Just then, out of nowhere, a charizard appeared, dropping out of the sky, followed by a togekiss. I yelped, jumping back out of the way, nearly colliding with Pyrite, who was behind me. Guess who jumped off the pokemon?

Copal, Aryl, and Coral.

Dear Arceus, WHY?

"F*cking d*mmit, don't scare me like that!" I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest in irritation.

"Hello to you too," Copal snorted. "Look, we have a-"

"Copal-chan, it can wait!" Aryl exclaimed excitedly, interrupting her. "Guess what!"

"...What?" Pyrite asked warily, eying the two girls.

I swore to Arceus-

"IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!" Aryl cheered.

-Oh.

Well then.

"Happy birthday, Aryl!" said Dodge, smiling. "So you're sixteen now, right?"

Aryl grinned wider. "Eeyup! That's right! It's my sweet sixteen, baby!"

She was going to lord it over us, wasn't she? Ugh. I just wanted to get to get to Vermillion already, d*mmit. I didn't have time for any of this sh*t.

"Okay, _now_ may I say what I was going to say?" Copal deadpanned.

"Of course, Copal-chan~" Aryl drawled, smirking lazily at her.

My sister rolled her eyes. "Look, there's a gyarados hiding in the waters here. It nearly went on a rampage several minutes ago. It's bound to make another appearance. We have to be prepared for a intense battle! That thing is super strong even before its p*ssed off!"

Holy f*ck, were they sh*tting me?! A f*cking gyarados was sneaking around here?! My mom had a gyarados—named Neptune—but he was pretty quiet and calm. That was rare for a gyarados. Those things were nasty f*ckers.

"...Seriously?" Pyrite asked before sighing heavily. "Why does this always seem to happen...?"

"Don't worry," Coral said, trying to sound reassuring. "We're here, and we have strong pokemon. We should be fine if we stick together."

"Besides, it might not come back at all!" Dodge put in. "I'm sure we'll be A-Okay!"

"You better be f*cking right," I retorted darkly. "I've put up with enough sh*t lately. The last thing I need is a batsh*t insane gyarados trying to destroy everything."

Copal frowned. "What happened?"

I felt my face pale, and then my cheeks burned. Arceusd*mmit, I didn't want to think about that!

"Uh, I-I don't want t-to talk about i-it," I stammered, still blushing furiously.

Copal narrowed her eyes. "Fine. Whatever. We should get moving, though. The longer we linger the more of a chance the gyarados will find us."

"Well, then let's get going!" Aryl exclaimed.

"We should each have a pokemon out at all times," said Coral, looking at all of us. "I suggest choosing one that has Gyarados's weaknesses."

"Good idea," agreed Pyrite, pulling a poke ball out of his pack. "Blitz!"

His luxio materialized in front of us. The electric feline stretched out, its claws setting off blue sparks. Coral smiled for some reason, before pulling out her own ultra ball and releasing a _luxray_.

"I see we have similar tastes in pokemon, little brother," she said, looking down at him with amusement twinkling in her red eyes.

Pyrite let out a dry laugh, and rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "I guess so."

"Ray-kun, please be an example to young Blitz," the girl said to her luxray. "Let's give them something out of this."

The luxray let out a growl so low I couldn't interpret it. Copal and Aryl took our their own poke balls and each released a pokemon. Copal sent out a minun, and it leaped up onto her shoulder. Aryl sent out a galvantula.

"I think I'll stay out of this," said Dodge as I took out Juno's poke ball. "I only have water-types. They won't do much damage to a gyarados."

"That would be the best plan," Copal agreed. "I think we'll be fine anyways."

I released Juno. She let out a happy cry, and leaped up into my arms. I laughed as she hopped up onto my shoulder, and then jumped up on top of my head. She was really happy to be out of her poke ball.

"Everybody's set now, right?" Aryl asked. "Let's go, then!"

Arceus, she was pushy.

So with that, we finally headed off. Juno stayed perched on my shoulder. We didn't bump into any wild pokemon. I would have to do some training around Vermillion City once we got there.

It wasn't so bad traveling with my sister and her friends. Aryl was a f*cking perv, but she was funny. Copal and Coral both seemed to tolerate her, though for some reason her antics flustered the former a lot. What was up with that?

"You might be right, Dodge," Pyrite said as we walked along. "We might not bump into that gyarados after all."

Dodge laughed. "Told you so! It was probably just a little upset or something!"

We rounded a corner on the never ending docks, only to all come to a halt. There, standing at the end of one of the bridge-dock-things was none other than Carbuncle. The creepy man's back was to us, looking out at the water for some reason.

"Carbuncle!" Pyrite exclaimed in surprise.

The man turned around slowly, facing us. He looked at Pyrite, Dodge, and me briefly before turning his attention to the older girls. Coral's eyes widened slightly, a flicker of vague recognition came and left her face.

"...Carbuncle...?" she asked slowly, testing the words on her lips.

"Uh, yeah," said Pyrite. "He's a veteran of the Resistance. He helped us out a bit with Team Rocket before."

"I see..." she said, pursing her lips. "My name is Coral Kimu, and this is my cousin Arylide Kuro and our friend Copal Rosso-Senri."

"Sup!" Aryl exclaimed with her usual grin.

"It's nice to meet you, sir," said Copal, polite as ever.

I scowled, and crossed my arms over my chest. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"Amber!" Copal exclaimed in shock. "Don't be so rude!"

Carbuncle merely narrowed his eyes. "I'm just passing through. Following Team Rocket."

"...Do you think the Rockets have something to do with the angry gyarados?" Coral asked him slowly.

Carbuncle shook his head. "No, they wouldn't do something like this. This is something else entirely."

"Then who the hell else would do it?!" I demanded.

He looked over at me, his weird mismatched eyes cold as ice. He was intimidating, frightening even, though I'd never admit it. He scared the sh*t out of me. Yet everyone else was being all polite and respectful to him. He could be lying for all we knew!

I felt like I was in danger.

I took a slight step closer to Pyrite, who was nearest me. He blinked, noticing the tiny movement I made. But, thank Arceus, he didn't say anything.

"Team Plasma is resurging," he said at last, removing his penetrating gaze from me. "Arousing the gyarados could be an attempt to make pokemon look like bloodthirsty monsters."

"What?!" Copal demanded angrily, before anyone else could react. "That's crazy!"

"That p*sses me off," Aryl growled, her hands clenching into fists. "F*cking Government."

"Dude," said Dodge. "They'll never give up, will they?"

"Probably not," Pyrite sighed.

"That poor gyarados..." Coral murmured softly. "It must be in pain..."

"What... can we do to save it?" Pyrite asked, looking up at the man. "There must be a way."

"Your best bet would probably be to try to capture it," replied Carbuncle. "It will be difficult, but I believe it's the only way."

F*cking joyous.

Pyrite pursed his lips, and then nodded, a determined look coming across his face. "All right. I'll do it. I'll catch the gyarados!"

"W-What?!" I shrieked. "Are you crazy?!"

He started, shocked by my explosion. "Who else is gonna do it? Besides, I need a water-type!"

"But you could get hurt!" I shouted, abruptly grabbing him by his arm. "I don't want anything to happen to you, Ry!"

He stared down at me, his gold eyes wide. I realized what I was doing. I was gripping his arm so tight, both my fingers and his arm were turning white. And then I realized what I had said.

I jerked away from him, letting him go. I felt my cheeks burn as I tried to stammer out an apology.

"S-Sorry!" I stammered, embarrassed as hell. "I-I didn't mean to! Y-You can do whatever you want!"

I heard Aryl snickering from wherever she was standing. I also heard the slap of someone getting hit on the arm; I assumed it was Copal smacking Aryl. Dodge sighed heavily and slapped his forehead. Pyrite finally seemed to have recovered.

"...Right," he said, shaking his head. "Let's do this, then."

He stepped forward, obviously taking the lead, but he was stopped when something exploded out of the water next to the bridge-dock-thing with a fierce roar. I admit it; I screamed, jumping back and nearly knocking down Dodge.

F*cking sh*t, when would I stop embarrassing myself?! But that was f*cking scary!

The gyarados rose to its fully height, water running down its long, serpentine body. Carbuncle took a few steps back, never looking away from the pokemon. It snarled, baring its fangs as it nearly removed all of its body from the water. My breath caught in my throat.

"Oh sh*t," I breathed.

"That's a bit of an understatement," Dodge said sarcastically.

"Pyrite... maybe you should leave this to us," Coral stated carefully and slowly, not budging an inch; we were all frozen in place, not daring to move. "This pokemon... is powerful."

No freaking duh.

"You can still catch it if you want," Copal offered, not removing her eyes from the gyarados. "Just let us defeat it for you."

"...All right," he sighed, slacking slightly. "Do whatever you want."

Thank Arceus. I really did not want him to get hurt...

"A'right!" Aryl cheered, smirking devilishly. "Tarantula-"

"Don't be rash!" Copal snapped, still not moving. "This is serious!"

"I know, I know, jeez," she grumbled. "That doesn't mean we can't turn this into something fun! Tarantula! Thunderbolt!"

The galvantula's body sparked, and a wicked bolt of electricity shot at the gyarados. Normally, such an attack would knock it out in one hit. But not this gyarados. The attack only seemed to p*ss it off even more.

It let out a deep, guttural growl so loud the wooden boards beneath my feet shook. We all stared up at it in horror. Except for Carbuncle, anyways.

"How the hell is it still conscious?!" Aryl demanded, her eyes wide. "That's not f*cking possible!"

"Well, apparently it is," Coral said, narrowing her eyes. "Ray-kun, try using Thunder."

The luxray growled in agreement. Blue sparks flew, and then dark storm clouds began to gather in the sky. A wicked bolt of blue lighting shot down from the clouds, striking the gyarados. This time it closed its eyes in pain, but when it opened them back up it looked even _more_ p*ssed.

"I can't believe it," Coral breathed, stunned.

The gyarados decided it was time for its turn.

A bright red light began to form in its jaws. Sh*t, that was Hyper Beam!

"Get down!" Copal shouted.

We all dove out the way right as the attack finished charging, and the beam of intensely powerful energy shot out of the gyarados's mouth. I hit the wooden boards on my stomach, and slid, my skin scraping. Juno was flung from my head as well.

I groaned, gritting my teeth as I tried to push myself up onto my knees. Juno stirred too, pushing herself up with a huff. My arms, knees, and what was visible of my stomach were all scraped raw. It hurt like hell.

"Is everyone okay?" I heard Coral ask.

There were various responses.

I heaved myself up onto my feet, leaning over, putting my hands on my knees. "Y-Yeah..." I got out, wincing some more.

I stood up straight, and saw two things: (1), Carbuncle had disappeared again, and (2), the gyarados was _laughing_ at us. Its eyes were shut as it let out deep, growly chortles, its body shaking with its bellows.

The f*cking pokemon was _laughing_ at our pain. What was it, a sadist?

"B**tard," I growled, clenching my hands into fists. "You think this is f*cking funny?!"

"Amber, calm down," Pyrite said warningly from where he was standing near Dodge. "Don't antagonize it. You'll only make things worse."

...D*mmit, he was right. I sighed with aggravation, unclenching my fists.

"...Right," I agreed with reluctance as Juno leaped up onto my shoulder. "So what are we gonna do now?"

"Hmm... Well, we can't attack it one at a time," said Copal, furrowing her brow as she contemplated. "Both Aryl and Coral have tried that. So... Perhaps it would be best to all attack it at once? Separate, our power isn't strong enough. But if we combine our strength, we should succeed."

I... never would have thought of that.

"Why didn't I think of that?!" Aryl exclaimed in exasperation. "Awesome thinking, Copal-chan!"

Copal flushed. "Ahahaha... It's nothing, really..."

Coral cleared her throat, drawing in our attention. "So shall we, then? On a count of three?"

My sister nodded. "Yeah. We'll just do it, but if that doesn't done it, everyone else join in, okay?"

Pyrite nodded in agreement. "Sounds like a plan."

"All right..." said Copal, and the three girls' pokemon all tensed, gearing up for the awaited command and attack. "On the count of three... One... Two..." She took a big pause. "THREE!"

"Ray-Kun, Thunder!"

"Tarantula! Thunderbolt!"

"Now, Minny! Thunder!"

All three pokemon let out a fierce battle cry, their bodies charging for their respective attacks. Storm clouds once again gathered overhead. The gyarados froze, realizing something was about to happen. Dazzling lightning bolts shot down from the clouds, and from the galvantula. They all hit the vicious gyarados, and this time it roared like it was in unimaginable pain. The attacks relented, and the pokemon seemed to hover, swaying slightly in the air.

"Now's your chance, Pyrite!" Copal exclaimed.

"Right!" he shouted, taking out an ultra ball.

With precision, Pyrite threw the ultra ball. He seemed to be aiming for a specific spot. The device bounced off the top of the gyarados's head; how it reached there I had no idea. The pokemon was dragged inside, and the ultra ball fell down onto the dock-bridge-whatever. It rocked back and forth several times until it finally clicked and beeped, signaling a successful capture.

"Yes!" Pyrite exclaimed, grinning wide. "I did it!"

Coral smiled softly. "Of course you did."

"Way to go, 'Lil Ry!" Aryl cheered as he walked up to retrieve the ultra ball.

He laughed as he reached down to pick it up. "Thanks, Aryl."

"No prob, cuz!"

"So, dude," said Dodge as our friend rejoined us. "What're you gonna name it?"

Pyrite pulled out his Pokedex, and had it scan the ultra ball. "Hm... It's male, so... _Leviathan_!"

"That's very fitting," Coral mused.

We all moved together, forming a circle. That's when we remembered someone was missing.

"Say, where did that Carbuncle guy go?" Copal asked, frowning. "He just... vanished."

Pyrite sighed. "He always does that..."

"...He's a f*cking creep," I deadpanned.

"Will you stop calling him that?!" Pyrite retorted, glaring at me.

I almost flinched, but instead I glared right back at him. "It's true! He's of no f*cking help! All he does is stand around and yack! I doubt he's really a veteran of the War!"

"Don't start, you two!" my sister snapped in warning. "Honestly, it's not that big of a deal."

Oh yeah it was. But Copal didn't know who Pyrite thought he was. She didn't know that it was serious. Pyrite kept his mouth shut to my relief. I didn't want him to say anything and embarrass himself.

Aryl coughed. "Welp, now that that's taken care of, how about we have some fun?! It's my birthday! I demand it!"

Copal laughed, her mood lightening. "We can all lead you to Vermillion as well, if you'd like. We need to be there soon anyways."

And so we decided to walk the rest of the way to Vermillion City with my sister and her friends. Aryl made it more enjoyable thanks to her antics, though her mood seemed to sour the closer we got to the city. I wondered why.

Either way, I ended up having an awesome time with my friends.

* * *

><p><strong>AHAHAHAHAHAHA<strong>

**First off, this is another chapter GONE INSANE**

**How did you like Aryl's POV? Man, that girl is such a JOY**

**AND SUMMERSHIPPING IS JUST ASDFGHJKL**

***cough***

**Who is this Johan person? He HAS appeared in Forevermore, though I have slightly altered his appearance from what he originally looked like. And if you haven't already figured out, "Johan" is not his real name. **

**WHAT'S THIS ABOUT TEAM PLASMA?!**

**You'll have to wait and see~**

**There were a lot of more hints about Gio's real identity in here! Sorry about taking him out again, he WILL be back!**

**What else... **

**OH YEAH! Next chapter will be a bonus! A Valentine's Day special! Consider it my make up for the lack of an anniversary special, ahahaha...**

**AND OH GOSH WE'RE HITTING 100K WORDS AND WE'RE CLOSING IN ON 100 REVIEWS**

**THAT IS ALL**

**REVIEWS ARE LOVE**


	15. 14: Raichu's Thundering Reign: Part I

**EVERMORE**

**~Sequel Of The Forever Trilogy~**

**Chapter 14**

**Raichu's Thundering Reign **

**Part I**

_Thursday, August 26, 5018._

_(Amber's POV)_

"C'mon! We're almost there!" I exclaimed to my friends. "Get those a**es moving!"

"...Is it really necessary to run?" Pyrite deadpanned from where he was walking with Dodge.

"Yeah, Ambs, I'd like to relax, y'know," said Dodge; he had his shades on, pushed down from where they usually were on top of his head. "Vermillion's not that far away. And if it wasn't for your sister and her friends we wouldn't have gotten through the route so fast."

Copal, Aryl, and Coral had all went their separate ways earlier. Copal had something important to do, but she didn't say. Whatever it was, it made Aryl grouchy, and then she said goodbye as well, and Coral went with her.

I puffed out my cheeks. "Zircon probably already beat Hyacinth by now! I gotta catch up! I can't let that b**tard beat me!"

Both boys halted in front of me, giving me dry looks.

"Is beating Zircon really that important to you?" Dodge asked. "Aren't you putting too much into that?"

I groaned. "Ugh, nobody understands. I have to prove him wrong, okay?! He has to see that anyone can be strong!"

Dodge sighed. "When are you gonna learn that strength isn't everything? There's nothing wrong with not being strong, Amber."

I scowled, glaring at him. "If I'm gonna follow my dream, I have to be strong. End of story." I turned back around, putting my hands on my hips, and I could see the skyline of Vermillion City before us. "I'll do it, one step at a time. It'll be fun!"

"Just don't push yourself," Pyrite warned. "If you can't be a Gym leader, that's okay. You can always come back later."

I whipped around to face them, my scowl back. "And give Oak a reason to say he's better than me?! No f*cking way!"

He sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Suit yourself. Rai's supposed to be super tough."

I gritted my teeth, my hands clenching into fists. "You know," I spat icily. "Gio would be a lot more supportive!"

Pyrite started, and then tensed, glaring down at me, his gold eyes fierce. "Well, I'm not Gio, and he's not here. So just suck it up. Arceus."

"Whoa whoa, guys," said Dodge, stepping closer to us, raising his hands. "Chillax. There's no need to fight. And don't bring Gio into this. The poor guy got himself into enough of a mess already."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?!" I demanded.

"It means you're both idiots," he deadpanned.

Pyrite slapped his forehead.

...

Vermillion City was more stretched out, being a port to the sea. There were some sky scrapers, but nothing too major. Hovervehicles flew overhead as we walked along. It took us several minutes to find the Pokémon Center.

"Let's heal our pokemon and then go explore!" I exclaimed with excitement as I led the way up to the Center.

The automatic doors slid open and out stepped two people we had just been with the day before.

"Coral!" Pyrite exclaimed, surprised to see his sister again so soon. "And Aryl too!"

It was indeed Coral and Aryl. The two girls weren't surprised to see us, though. Well, they _had_ been leading us to the city. But I wondered why they had to leave us then if they were just heading for the same destination as us.

"Hi guys," Coral greeted us with a gentle smile. "I wondered when you would be getting here. Have any of you challenged Rai yet?"

Aryl grimaced. "Ugh, Rai. Thanks for reminding me, Coral."

Coral gave her cousin a dry look. "It's not the end of the world, Aryl."

Aryl snorted, scowling and cross her arms over her chest. "Hmph. I never liked him, and I never will. I don't give a sh*t if he saved her that one time. If he lays a _finger_ on her, I'll skin him alive and rip his intestines out."

All three of us stared at her in horror.

"I'd feed him to the bird pokemon but he's not good enough for them," she growled darkly.

...Aryl could be really scary if she wanted to...

"Okay, _what_ is going on?" Dodge asked, pushing his sunglasses up onto his head.

"Copal's dating Rai," sighed Coral.

Oh.

Wait, what?!

"What?!" I shrieked, my voice cracking up an octave. "My sister has a boyfriend before I do?!"

Awkward silence fell as I realized what I said. I clapped my hand over my mouth, my cheeks burning. Sh*t, I needed to stop blurting the first thing that came to my mind.

"...Since when do you care about having a boyfriend?" Dodge asked, eying me suspiciously. "I thought you loathed the male gender with a passion."

...Sh*t.

Me and my big f*cking fat mouth.

"I-I don't care!" I stammered angrily, feeling my face heat up even more. "I'm just saying!"

Pyrite slapped his forehead. "Oh for the love of Arceus..."

"F-Forget I said that!" I blurted.

"Too late~" Aryl drawled with a smirk, causing Coral to smack her.

"That was for Copal," she deadpanned. "Leave Amber alone."

"Okay, okay, jeez," Aryl grumbled, rubbing her arm. "Don't get your panties in a twist. I'm just messing around."

"OH MY ARCEUS! EVERYONE!"

Oh hell no.

I turned around to see a very excited Carmine Kazuo bound up to us, followed by the triplets from hell. Carmine skidded to a halt in front of us, her red eyes bright with delight.

"I'm so excited to see all of you!" she exclaimed, jumping up and down. "This is so cool! We can all hang together! It'll be so much fun!"

"'Sup guys," Aurum greeted, nodding to us, a cheeky smirk on his face. "I hope everyone's been playing safe."

Xenon snickered, while Mica smacked Aurum upside the back of his head, making him yelp in pain. I felt my blush return with a vengeance, remembering what had happened in the Pokémon Tower.

"Oooooh, Ambs is blushing," Aurum teased, grinning deviously. "Did something, by any chance, _happen_?"

"S-Shut up, perv!" I snapped, raising my fist threateningly. "You're so gross!"

"Aurum, leave her alone," Pyrite warned. "Nothing happened, okay?"

Right. Nothing happened.

Who was I kidding? It happened, and I liked it. I was so confused. Pyrite just jumbled up all my feelings, and his current attitude didn't really help. I wasn't sure if we were friends, or if I liked him or hated him. What did I want?

"Okay, okay, jeez," Aurum said, raising his hands as if to calm us down. "Cool your jets. Though the way you're reacting makes me think something _did_ happen."

Did... I want something to have happened? Did I want to acknowledge it? That I felt something?

"Auruuuum!" Carmine exclaimed. "Like anything happen between them!" She laughed, like she found it oh so hilarious.

That felt like a slap in the face.

I felt my defenses coming out, the urge to lash out and defend myself. It was always like this with Carmine. My hands clenched into fists. Why did this always have to happen?!

"I mean, Amber and a _boy_?" She laughed some more. "Much less _Ry_? That's _crazy_!"

That was it. That was f*cking it.

"Not all of us can be pretty like you, Carmine!" I snapped, all my self-control breaking and flying out the window. "You don't have to rub it in my f*cking face!"

Carmine's eyes widened, _oh so_ surprised. "I didn't mean it like that!"

"Sure you didn't," I snapped, scowling fiercely. "Excuse me, I need to heal my pokemon."

Coral and Aryl, still shocked by what just happened, moved out of the way. Without another word, I stalked into the Pokémon Center, escaping the scene behind me. Luckily, there was no line to wait in to get your pokemon healed. I got everyone taken care of moments later.

"Amber!"

I turned around after I put the last poke ball away in my bag. It was Carmine, and she was bounding up to me, looking distraught. I stiffened as she halted in front of me. I didn't want anything to do with her right now.

"Leave me alone," I spat, walking around her so I could head for the exit.

"Will you just listen for a sec?!" she exclaimed with frustration from behind me. "Let me explain!"

"F*ck off," I retorted, taking another step away from her.

"No!" she snapped, sounding furious, and I swore I even heard her stomp her foot. "I'm not taking your crap anymore! I'm not letting you walk all over me!"

I stopped dead in my tracks. That little b*tch. I gritted my teeth, tightened my grip on my bag's strap hanging from my shoulder so hard that my fingers turned white.

I turned around slowly, facing her. The others had come inside too, and strangers were stopping whatever they were doing to see what was going on. Carmine was glaring at me, and scowling for probably the first time ever. I narrowed my eyes at her.

"Say it too my face," I challenged venomously.

Carmine's glare grew fiercer, but I didn't find here that scary. But then she began to speak, not backing down from my challenge.

"I'm done with your sh*t, Amber. I am _done_. You're a whiny, bratty, little b*tch that gets all p*ssy when something doesn't go her way! You're a freaking _diva_! A primadonna! You're vulgar, and you treat everyone like sh*t, even your so-called friends! Oh gee, and you wonder why no boys like you?! No one wants to be with a freaking five-year-old! Oh wait, you're more like a _two-year-old_! D*mn, you're selfish too! All you think about is yourself! You need to grow the hell up!"

I... didn't move. I just continued to glare at her because that was all I could do. I couldn't do anything else.

"The only ugly thing about you, Amber," she added icily, pointing at me, "is your _hideous_ personality."

And with that, she turned around and stalked out of the Pokémon Center. The boys hastily moved out of her way, letting her by. Everyone was stunned.

"Hooooo boy," Aryl drawled out, her gold eyes wide. "She's got her daddy's temper. Hot d*mn."

Coral smacked her upside her head. "That's for Copal."

Aryl did not look amused.

I...

I...

I was that screwed up...?

I thought... I thought I had gotten better. By just a little, but still...

I forced myself to look up at everyone as the other people in the Pokémon Center slowly and awkwardly returned to whatever they had been doing before. I couldn't find my voice. This was so humiliating...

"What... just... _happened_?" Pyrite asked slowly, looking utterly shocked.

"I was about to ask you the same thing, dude," Dodge said, his eyes wide.

"...Something's definitely wrong with Carmy," Aurum breathed.

"...No duh," Mica deadpanned. "A blind man could see that."

Aurum gave his brother a dry look.

"I wonder what's wrong..." Xenon said, frowning.

So, my own cousins cared more about their friend than me? Great. Just great. They were so supportive. That made me feel _so_ much better.

I was doing everything in my power not to cry in front of the whole freaking world.

"Maybe... we should go find Copal, Aryl," Coral said slowly, looking over at her cousin. "She's probably with Rai at the moment."

Aryl scowled. "Yeah, good idea. Let's go."

No one moved or said anything as the two girls left. I lifted my arms to cross them over my chest, though I ended up hugging myself more than anything. The feeling was back—the feeling of being a failure. I had just gotten over the previous hump, too.

"Amber..." Pyrite started, and then his voice faded out. He sighed. "Never mind..."

He turned and left, too.

"Um... W-Well..." Aurum rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "I'm gonna go find Carm! Later!"

He hastily scampered out of the Center.

Mica sighed. "I hate everything."

Without another word, he followed his brother's path out the door.

"I... guess I'm gonna go too," Xenon said, looking at me with concern. "Please... feel better, Ambs."

I managed to crack a pained smile; Xenon was really the best out of the triplets. He cared about his family and showed it. And it did make me feel a little better, if only for a moment.

"Thanks, Xenon," I said, my voice slightly shaky.

He grinned at me, obviously another attempt to cheer me up. "No prob, cuz! Okay, I'm going! Catch you guys later!"

Once he was gone, Dodge looked back over at me, and then slowly walked up to me. He was silent for a moment as I tightened my crossed arms.

"Hey..." he began awkwardly, obviously not knowing what to do. "I... uh... don't know what to say..."

"...It's fine, Dodge," I muttered, looking down at my feet.

"No, it's not!" he exclaimed. "That was totally uncalled for. You didn't deserve that. Carmine crossed the line."

Ya think...? I looked back up at him.

Dodge sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I'm not good with talking about feelings... But if you wanna talk..."

"It's fine, really," I said quietly.

He looked down at me, not convinced. "Suit yourself... Just... try not to think about it too much."

"I'll try not to..."

That was a total lie.

...

_(Copal's POV)_

This wasn't what I expected.

Okay, so there were a few things I did not foresee.

The first was that being with Rai wasn't what I thought it would be. It wasn't that enjoyable, and didn't make me happy. Don't get me wrong, Rai was a great guy and all, but I just wasn't feeling it.

Second, Aryl and Coral showed up so soon after we parted, and would be staying in the city until my contest was over and it was time for the upcoming cruise. Third, the kids had gotten here, even some that we hadn't been expecting, and were all in a foul mood.

"It's a long story," Coral told me with a sigh.

I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. "Would you care to elaborate?"

"...Carmy exploded on Ambs," Aryl deadpanned.

...Okay, that was really bad.

I was standing outside the Gym with Aryl, Coral, and Rai. The younger kids, minus my sister, had gone inside to cool down both physically and emotionally.

"And they are...?" Rai asked, looking at me.

I looked over at my boyfriend. He was only slightly taller than me, thin yet muscular. He had golden blonde hair that spiked out in the back, with bangs that flopped down into his bright, electric blue eyes.

"Amber is my sister, and Carmine is my cousin," I sighed, looking back over at my friends. "What exactly happened?"

"Amber took something Carmine said the wrong way," Coral exclaimed calmly. "Carmine tried to clear it up but she wouldn't listen. So she exploded out on Amber... and let out a lot of steam."

"I never thought I'd see the day that Carmy got that p*ssed," Aryl said, shaking her head. "You should've been there, Copal-chan!"

"Are you crazy?!" I snapped, glaring at her. "It's not funny, Aryl! You have a sick sense of humor."

"I never said it was funny!" she exclaimed defensively. "I just said you should've been there! Chill out!"

Coral sighed, and Rai had another "This again?" look on his face. I scowled, crossing my arms over my chest. I wasn't very pleased. Aryl had been... difficult lately. We were clashing a lot, which had never happened before. Something about her... was just upsetting me. Well, she _was_ incredibly rude to Rai, which was _very_ frustrating. I couldn't understand why my best friend wouldn't try to get along with my boyfriend.

I stayed silent; I had nothing to say.

"Aw, c'mon, Copal-chan," she whined, a nervous expression coming across her face. "Don't be mad! Please don't be mad."

"Too late," I deadpanned.

Her nervous look transformed into a distressed one. "Seriously, I'm sorry!" she exclaimed, becoming frantic. "Please _please_ don't be mad!"

"I'm going to find Amber," I declared, turning to leave. "I'll be back. Sorry, Rai."

"...It's fine," he sighed. "Just go help your sister."

I nodded, turning around all the way so I could head out of the Gym.

"Copal-chan-"

"Later, okay?" I snapped, glancing back at her briefly. "Arceus. I need to do this, Aryl."

I heard her sigh loudly. "Fine..."

I... felt bad now.

I always regretted getting angry at Aryl. It always happened, no matter what. I just... couldn't stay mad... no matter how much I wanted to. Just hearing her dulling voice and seeing her dejected face drained the rage right out of me. Freaking d*mmit, why did it always end like this?!

"...See you later," I said, finally forcing myself to leave.

It took me a few minutes to reach the Pokémon Center, where I assumed my little sister was. Like always, people inside the building recognized me, some whispering and/or pointing. It ignored it all as I walked up to the front desk; I was used to it. That's what happened when you're famous.

"Hello, Miss Rosso-Senri," the nurse greeted me. "How may I help you?"

"Is my sister here?" I asked. "Amber Rosso-Senri? She's really short and wears a thick, blonde ponytail."

"Oh, yes, she is!" the nurse replied, nodding. "She's in a room. Let me check which one."

Well, that was easier than I expected.

"She's staying in room 201," the nurse replied, looking at her computer.

"Okay, thank you," I said, turning to go.

"No problem, sweetie!"

I headed for the area of the Pokémon Center that served as the hotel. It took me a few minutes to find the room she was in. It was on the second floor. I gently knocked on the closed door, pondering what exactly I was going to do to help her. First, I needed to find out what the problem was.

"Amber, it's me, Copal!" I called to her. "Can I come in?"

There was silence for a moment or two. The finally, the door was opened, revealing a very ornery looking version of my little sister.

"What do you want?" she asked darkly, her voice like ice.

"...I want to talk," I answered, trying not to be offended by her hostility.

"Well, I don't," she retorted, proceeding to shut the door in my face.

I quickly put my foot in the doorway, preventing her from shutting it on me. "Too bad. You can't keep on pushing people who love you and want to help you away, Amber."

She scowled, her orange eyes cold. "Like you can help me. I'm _pathetic_."

I snorted. "You don't know the _meaning_ of pathetic. How about I tell you a story?"

She sighed, releasing the door, which swung further open. "Okay, fine. Do whatever the hell you want. I don't give a f*ck."

...

A few minutes later, we were settled down on her bed in the room. Amber sat down by the pillows with Juno, her knees pulled up with her arms wrapped around them. I was at the other end, sitting with my legs crossed.

"The story I'm going to tell you is about the most pathetic girl in the world," I announced. "So you will see you don't fit the bill."

Amber didn't seem convinced. I decided to begin, then.

"Sixteen years ago, a baby was born to a very important and famous couple. It was a girl, and she was a very tiny, fragile infant. And she was born with a weak heart... She was only expected to live to her tenth birthday, at most."

Amber's eyes widened. Even Juno looked shocked. They were speechless. Of course; I didn't expect anything else.

"This girl couldn't play with the other kids in her neighborhood. She couldn't exert herself without severe consequences. She had to take medication to help her heart. She even had to get glasses at two years old because she had poor eyesight."

Amber began to stare at her knees. I bet she didn't know how to take this.

"She only had two real friends. Let's call them 'A' and 'C'. These two girls constantly visited her, and they would play whatever they could. Sometimes, if she was feeling well enough, she would go outside to watch A climb trees and rough-house with her brother, or to watch C train and battle with her pokemon."

Amber and Juno didn't budge an inch. My sister continued to stare at her knees, hugging herself slightly tighter.

"When the trio started going to school, the girl's entire world changed. Keeping up with her classmates was impossible, and she was bullied for her weaknesses. A and C would always defend her, and A even beat up someone for it once. The girl loathed school, but her parents were too busy to teach her at home."

Amber tightened her grip around her legs.

"It got worse as time went on. She got sicker, the other children became crueller, and she was separated from her best friends. It was much more difficult to learn when she was out of class and in the hospital more often. Her friends—especially A—kept her going."

Aryl... really was my dearest friend. I loved Coral and all, but it was just... _different_... with Aryl... for some reason.

"This girl eventually was made fun of for saying she would like to marry A someday. Rumors spread, and she was called horrible names. She almost stopped taking her medication because she wanted to die. That was how awful they made her feel. She felt like a freak, like there was something else wrong with her."

That had probably been my darkest time. I doubted I would ever be able to forgive Sally Johnson for starting that. I had nearly been driven to suicide, and that was during _second grade_.

...Though my affection for Aryl had been real. I had convinced myself it was just a phase, something I had been going through at the time. But now... I wasn't so sure.

"Finally, when she was nine, she was able to get a heart transplant. She was taken all the way to Opelucid City in Unova for the surgery. It was successful. She would have to take new medication to ensure that her new heart wouldn't be rejected. She had to stay in Opelucid for months to be monitored. Her aunt and uncle in Unova served as her guardians when her parents couldn't stay with her any longer due to their positions."

I had missed Mom and Dad a lot during that period, but Aunt Cerise and Uncle Shirou were really cool, fun people. I also got to see Finn a lot more than ever before. Though I had been absolutely thrilled when Grey and Fiori brought Aryl to visit me.

"When she turned ten, she was given the opportunity, along with her friends, to travel Unova while studying online. They all accepted, eager to become pokemon trainers."

I would never forget the day that Professor Pine came over to my house and told us that. We all received starters, too—Aryl choose oshawott, Coral picked chikorita, and I decided on charmander. I didn't really care about not getting a Pokedex. I was just happy I could finally start acting like a normal girl my age.

"But it wasn't easy changing... She was still weak, having almost no muscle. She had absolutely no stamina. She was weak-willed, and gave up easily. Her friends tried to help her, but sometimes she was too scared. She didn't like the unknown."

I had been the pathetic one...

Amber and Juno were still pretty still, having not said a word since I started speaking.

"But then her first pokemon, her beloved eevee, evolved into an umbreon one night. She realized that if she was going to follow her dreams, she had to start saying yes. And you know what? She did. And now she's one of the most famous trainers in the world."

Amber slowly looked up at me, frowning. "Who is she?"

I laughed, tilting my head to the side slightly. "That girl is me."

Amber's eyes widened and she gasped. Juno even started a little. I wasn't surprised they didn't remember. That had been a long time ago, and they were very young.

"You're not weak, Amber," I told her firmly. "I was weak, and you're _nothing_ like I was. And even if you were, it's not impossible to change. I mean, just look at me! I'm successful, famous, and still have an awesome family and friends! You can do anything you set your mind to."

Her orange eyes flickered back down to her knees. "T-That's crazy..."

I reached over to open my bag, and pulled out my wallet. I took out a photograph that had been taken six years ago, right before we had left on our journey. It had Aryl, Coral, and me in it. I was in the middle, with Aryl on my right side and Coral to my left. It was still shocking to look at it, even after all these years.

I was a lot different back then. Even after a year with a good heart, I was skinny and pale. My straight black hair was shorter, going down to my shoulders. A sapphire blue flower clip pinned my bangs back to the side. I still had my glasses—they had rounded off rectangular lenses, with sky blue rims on the bottom halves. I was being squished by both my friends, the smallest by far, and I had the biggest smile on my face.

Aryl was quite different as well. She towered above us, already five foot five if I remembered correctly; she was one of those fast growers. Her black hair was cut into a shaggy bob, going down to her chin, tousled, wild, and messy like always. Her gold eyes twinkled mischievously at the camera, a wide grin on her lips. Her skin was tanned, which looked really good on her. She was leaning down to put her head close to mine, sort of pushing me into her cousin.

Coral had changed the least. Her hair was slightly shorter, braided back neatly, her bangs framing her face. She was the middle man when it came to height, being a few inches taller than me. She was smiling softly, her crimson eyes calm. She had a faint tan, though she was nowhere near as dark as her cousin. She had always been the prettiest out of all three of us.

I showed Amber the photo. "See? That's us... six years ago. We were ten, and this was taken the day we left home to travel through Unova."

She stared at it. "You... really had a bad heart?"

I nodded. "Yeah... It was rough. But now I'm healthy as a rapidash! As long as you believe, you _will_ achieve."

Amber sighed, dropping down her legs. "I'm just so... discouraged. I keep messing up..."

"Everyone makes mistakes, Amber," I said gently. "You're only human. Don't be so harsh on yourself. No one is perfect."

Juno leaped up onto her lap, and pressed her face into her stomach. It was the pikachu's way of hugging her trainer, I guess.

"Do you... have a scar?" Amber asked, changing the subject. "From your surgery?"

"...Yeah," I replied after a moment. "A big, ugly scar. But nobody can see it."

Thank Arceus no one could. It was hideous. Well, no one would see it unless I got married... or something. I didn't like thinking about it. My scar wasn't something I wanted anyone to see.

"How do I fix this, Copal?" she asked me, her voice hushed. "I feel like everyone hates me..."

"_No one_ hates you, Amber!" I exclaimed adamantly. "We _love_ you! Well, I know I do. Look, all you have to do is apologize. Here, I'll help you." I slid off the bed, standing up onto my feet. "Come on!"

Amber sighed, picking up Juno before heaving herself up off the bed. "Okay..."

I tentatively took my sister out of the room, and then led her out of the Pokémon Center. She followed me silently, still hugging her pikachu to her chest. I pondered on how to help mend this.

Maybe it would help to duke it out in a battle? That was how I usually let out my anger... It was unhealthy to let rage build up inside you.

When we got back to the Gym, I could sense some awkwardness in the air. I led Amber to the main room that contained the battle arena. It was simple compared to the other Gyms; Rai liked to keep things simple, after all. There were electric generators on the ceiling to recharge Rai's pokemon so he could take more than one challenger a day. The actual room was rather empty, except for chairs that spectators could sit in.

"I'm back!" I announced. "And I've brought Amber!"

Rai hopped onto his feet, and came over to greet us, while the majority of everyone else looked like they didn't know what to do.

"Hi there!" Rai greeted my sister cheerily. "I'm Rai, the Vermillion Gym Leader! You're Copal's sister, right? It's nice to meet you."

Amber just stared at him, her eyes widening. What was the problem? Didn't she know we were together?

"My sister... is dating... a _super hot guy_?!" she shrieked, snapping out of her daze. "What the f*ck?!"

...Yeah, she knew.

Amber must have realized what she had said because her face flushed bright red as Aurum snickered loudly bad where he was sitting with everyone else. Rai blinked, trying to figure out what just happened.

"I-I mean," she hastily began to stammer, "he's too hot for her! No! I meant—oh, f*ck it all."

Aurum burst out laughing, leaning forward in his chair. "Oh my Arceus, Ambs! I can't believe you just said that!"

"I can't believe you still have balls," she growled. "Maybe I should do something about that."

Aurum paled, but Carmine suddenly leaped to her feet, looking ticked off.

"Leave him alone, Amber!" she snapped. "He didn't do anything! Grow up already and get your hormones in check!"

"So says the girl who _fangirls obsessively_ about Ry!" Amber snapped, clenching her hands into fists and taking a step closer to our cousin.

"Don't bring him into this!" Carmine shrieked.

"I'll do whatever the f*ck I want!" my sister retorted. "D*mn you!"

"You'll go to hell first!" Carmine snapped.

That. Was. _It_.

"ENOUGH! BOTH OF YOU SHUT THE HELL UP!" I shrieked right as Amber opened her mouth to retort.

Everyone froze. The boys, who were already surprised, looked like deerling in headlights. Rai's eyes widened in shock. Aryl and Coral were just staring. I rarely got angry, but when I did, there was usually an explosion.

"I will _not_ have _anyone_ fighting like _idiots_ in front of Rai," I growled menacingly. "Especially not my _family_. I'm _sick_ and _tired_ of all this bickering. You two used to be friends. _Friends_! What the hell _happened_ to you?!"

Carmine scowled, crossing her arms over her chest. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe it's because Amber became an absolute _b*tch_."

"At least I'm not obsessive!" Amber snapped.

"I am not f*cking obsessive!" Carmine shrieked, her voice cracking up an octave.

"SILENCE!" I screamed. "I will _EXECUTE_ you if you don't shut your d*mn pie holes!"

"Oh sh*t," Aryl breathed, her eyes wide. "Copal-chan's _really_ mad now..."

"...What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Carmine asked in confusion.

"...You don't want to know," Coral sighed warningly.

"Amber, come here," I commanded darkly.

"Ugh, why?" she whined.

"Just get your a** over here," I snapped, not in the mood to put up with her crap. "Carmine, you too."

Both girls begrudgingly stalked up to where I was standing as I put my hands on my hips.

"You two are going to have a battle," I ordered, looking down at them in irritation. "You will make up. You will stop fighting. And if you don't, I will make your life hell until you do. Understood?"

"...Yes," Carmine grumbled, not happy at all.

"Amber?"

"Yeah, yeah," she huffed. "I understand."

...

_(Amber's POV)_

This was f*cking stupid.

The Gym had been cleared for the battle. The electric generators whirred with excitement above us, like they were anticipating the battle. I had my poke balls out on the floor, Juno beside them. My arms were crossed over my chest as I stood beside them. Carmine was across from me, on the other side of the Gym, in a similar position. Not one of her pokemon were out, though.

This was so f*cking stupid.

Like a battle was going to change anything! What was done was done. It was too late.

"This should be easy," Carmine said, crouching down to pick a poke ball. "Let's go, Virginia!"

An archen appeared in a flash of light. It squawked, flapping its wings lamely as it shifted on the ground. So she had a prehistoric pokemon, huh? Humph. I crouched down, looking at my pokemon. I was saving Juno for last, so... I picked the poke ball and stood up.

"You're up, Ceres!" I exclaimed, sending out the breloom.

_"Hell yeah!"_ she exclaimed, grinning deviously as she faced off with the archen. _"I'm ready to kick some a**!"_

The archen squawked, obviously insulted by her words.

Carmine snorted. "Wow, are you stupid or something? Do you _want_ to lose?"

I scowled. "Battles aren't about brute strength, dumba**."

She glared right back at me. "Virginia, use Wing Attack!"

"Ceres!" I exclaimed. "Brace yourself!"

The breloom crossed her arms over her chest so they formed an X, spreading her legs out wide. The archen's wings slammed into her, and she slid back several feet, taking the attack. Ceres keeled over, her face contorting as she took the pain from the attack that had her weakness. But she pushed herself back up. Carmine's and Virginia's eyes widened with surprise.

I smirked. "Now. Counter!"

Ceres grinned. She leaped forward, her right arm becoming surrounded by white light. She slammed her clenched fist right into the archen's nose. The prehistoric bird pokemon screeched it pain and she was thrown back by the attack. She landed on her back and slid several feet. She did not get back up.

I grinned viciously, crossing my arms over my chest as Carmine stared at her fallen pokemon. "Now what was that earlier? 'This will be easy'?"

Carmine scowled, glaring at me. "This is just the beginning!" She returned her archen and then chose another pokemon. "Come on, Arizona!"

A vulpix appeared before us. It let out a battle cry, shimmying its tails. I knew better than to keep Ceres out. I returned her to her poke ball.

"Coward!" Carmine cried.

I stiffened, gritting my teeth. Juno let out a low growl.

"No," I retorted icily. "Wise. I almost like a pokemon once. I'm not about to take any chances."

_"Yeah!"_ Juno shouted. _"It's not a risk we're gonna take!"_

I chose another poke ball. "Mars, let's do this!"

The raticate materialized before us. He snapped his jaws together, making loud, menacing clacking sounds with his fangs. He grinned viciously. He was ready for a good fight.

"A raticate?" Carmine snorted. "Wow. I'm actually surprised you decided to train it."

"I do what I want," I retorted hotly. "Mars, use Hyper Fang!"

The raticate leaped up into the air, his fangs glowing and extending. The vulpix could not avoid the attack. Mars clamped his fangs down on its back, and the fire fox howled in pain. But it managed to get back up as Mars landed back in front of me.

"Arizona, use Flamethrower!" Carmine commanded.

The vulpix managed to stand up straight, and flames began to gather in its jaws. Fire shot out of her mouth, billowing towards Mars. The attack hit the raticate, but he took the blaze without making a sound. When it was over, he wasn't seriously injured.

Carmine began to look a little nervous. Good. Served the b*tch right.

"Mars," I said, thinking of what to do next. "Pursuit!"

The raticate blasted forward with wicked speed, his body becoming surrounded by purple light. He tackled the vulpix right in the face, causing it to cry out in pain and fall backwards. It did not get back up. Mars returned to me.

"You're just lucky," Carmine spat as she put her vulpix back into its poke ball. "California, you're up!"

This time a seel appeared from the poke ball. I returned Mars to his poke ball, and chose another pokemon.

"Let's go, Diana!" I exclaimed, releasing the buttefree.

_"I will do my best, Trainer!"_ she cried when she appeared before us.

Carmine scowled harder. "California, use Ice Shard!"

...Sh*t.

Why was it always Diana?!

Ice Shard was an attack that always hit first. There was no escape. Sharp shards of ice shot out of the seel's mouth, hitting the butterfree. She cried out, and was pushed back in the air. I was surprised she didn't drop yet.

"Diana! Use Sleep Powder!" I commanded.

The butterfree recovered, though she looked like she was in pain. She flew over about the seel, and green powder began to form on her wings. She flapped them harder, sending the dust down on the seel below. And to much of my pleasure, California fell fast asleep.

"Cheater!" Carmine snapped.

"Oh, shut the f*ck up!" I retorted. "Diana, Confusion, now!"

The butterfree steeled herself, and her eyes began to glow and a wave of pink psychic energy pulsed towards the seel. The sleeping pokemon was thrown back, sliding on the ground. It didn't wake up.

Carmine obviously was getting frustrated now. I smirked.

"Confusion one more time!" I exclaimed.

Diana repeated the attack, and this time the seel fainted. Oh, f*ck yeah! We were on a roll! This battle would be over in no time! We had this in the bag! There was no f*cking way Carmine could beat us, the b*tch.

We both returned our pokemon. Diana was barely hanging on. I told her she did an awesome job. And she did!

"Florida!" Carmine shouted, releasing her next pokemon.

It was a shiny servine. It must be her starter. Well, I definitely knew who to use then. I reached down to pick up his poke ball. Juno looked up at me and grinned. Carmine was so stupid. She thought it would be soooo easy to beat _us_!

"Jupiter!" I exclaimed, sending out the shiny charmeleon.

He appeared in a flash of light, blinking lazily. Jupiter yawned, a bored look on his face. I think that just helped p*ss Carmine and Florida off even more. But Jupiter was always like that. He didn't put that much effort into battle unless he had to.

"Florida, use Vine Whip!" she ordered.

Vines shot out of the servine's collar, lunging at Jupiter with such wicked speed there was no avoiding the attack. The vines wrapped tightly around the golden charmeleon's body, lifting him up off the ground. He squeezed his eyes shut, gritting his fangs as the vines tightened their grip on him even more. This couldn't do too much damage, but if they got too tight, bones could be broken.

Carmine was crossing the line. Was she trying to seriously hurt my pokemon? What the hell?!

"Jupiter, hang in there!" I shouted. "Ember!"

His eyes shot open, his tail twitching, swaying the flame back and forth. Jupiter opened his mouth, lowering his head so his jaws were pointed towards the vines. Small flames flew out, hitting the things that restrained him. The servine shrieked in pain, and recoiled the vines. Jupiter dropped down to the ground.

Florida hissed, straightening her stance. Jupiter wasn't fazed.

Carmine was getting agitated now; she knew she was going to lose. "Florida, use Leaf Tornado!"

"Fire Fang!" I commanded.

Though we hadn't been together for even a month yet, Jupiter had tuned in with me. He was my starter pokemon, after all. He knew me almost as well as Juno did. It made me happy that already we had such a good connection. And it showed when he braced himself for the incoming attack without me even telling him to. He knew that was what I wanted even though I only gave him an attack order.

A funnel of leaves exploded from Florida, spinning violently like a tornado, hence the move's name. The twister fluctuated, dipping down, and it hit the charmeleon. Even without the bracing, the attack would barely do any damage to the fire-type.

Jupiter waited a moment as the move subsided before leaping into action. He lunged towards the servine, flames exploding around his fangs. He jumped up above Florida, and then landed onto its back. It screeched as he sank his flaming fangs into its back.

The servine collapsed forward, its face contorted in pain. Jupiter leaped off of it, and I could see that it had been burned. It was struggling to get back up.

"It's not over yet!" Carmine exclaimed defiantly. "Florida, Solar Beam!"

Was she _crazy_?! That move had to charge before it could work!

"Hurry, Jupiter!" I told him. "Dragon Pulse!"

The charmeleon opened his jaws as a blue sphere of energy began to form between them. It pulsed out, hitting the servine as it continued to charge its attack. And that was it for Florida.

"No!" Carmine cried. "Agh, this still isn't over!"

She returned her servine, and picked up the last unused poke ball. I called Jupiter back, returning to his own poke ball. He was perfectly fine, but I knew who was left and Juno had been waiting for this. I looked down at her and nodded.

The pikachu grinned eagerly before leaping away from the poke balls and scampering out in front of me. Her grin turned into a vicious smirk as electricity crackled from her red cheek pouches. Juno was ready.

Narrowing her eyes, Carmine released her emolga, Carolina. The flying squirrel lifted herself up higher into the air. Juno looked up at the emolga, still smirking deviously, letting another crackle of electricity go from her body.

"Carolina, use Aerial Ace!" Carmine ordered.

"Iron Tail, Juno!" I commanded.

The emolga shot forward, surrounded by a force field-like barrier. Juno's tail glinted silver as she leaped into the air, lunging towards Carolina. The pikachu turned her body so her iron-coated tail as in front of her. The two pokemon collided with such a force that they both were pushed violently away from each other. Juno landed on her feet, and slid back. She grimaced slightly.

"We won't let you win!" Carmine exclaimed defiantly. "Right, Carolina?!"

_"Right!"_ the emolga cried, electricity crackling from her yellow cheek pouches.

I scowled. "You're a f*cking idiot. Juno, Volt Tackle. Let's finish this!"

Juno grinned maliciously. _"With pleasure!"_

Carmine paled, and Carolina actually looked _scared_. They knew it was over now.

The Pikachu's cheeks sparked, and voltage exploded around her, surrounding her body. She leaped into the air, the electricity trailing behind her. Juno blasted through the air, and slammed into the emolga so hard there was an explosion. Smoke flew everywhere, preventing us from seeing what the outcome was. I coughed, covering my mouth with my arm as the smoke began to spread out, billowing towards us.

Finally, it cleared, revealing that Juno was still standing, while Carolina had collapsed on the ground, out cold.

I smirked, crossing my arms over my chest. "Now what was that about this being an easy win?"

...

"I would say I'm sorry but I'm not."

I looked up from my lunch to give Carmine an irritated look. Frankly, I didn't give a sh*t about how she felt. I just wanted her to f*ck off and leave me the hell alone already. I already beat the sh*t out of her in a pokemon battle. What else did she want?

We were in the cafeteria in the Pokémon Center for lunch. Even after defeating her, I still didn't feel better. I felt... hollow. Pyrite was oddly quiet, but everyone else seemed back to normal. Copal went out with Rai so she could cool down, and Aryl and Coral were eating at a table separate from us, just the two of them.

We were a little packed. I was sitting a bit awkwardly between Pyrite and Dodge, the only two people who seemed openly accepting of me. It was only awkward because I had no idea what was going on with Ry and me anymore.

"I don't care," I deadpanned, not taking her bait. "Why are you even still here?"

Carmine scowled, and brushed a pigtail behind her back. "I'm not going to miss out on hanging with Pyrite and Dodge just because you're here!"

I squeezed the plastic fork so hard in my hand it snapped in two.

"Come on, guys," said Xenon with a frown. "Can't you _try_ to get along?"

"Are you insane?!" Carmine cried. "No way!"

"I would rather be dead that get along with her," I said icily, tossing away the broken fork. "Sorry, Xen."

Mica sighed heavily. "It's so boring here. There's nothing to do."

Aurum snorted, and then smirked devilishly. "You just say that because Opal's not here."

Mica flushed bright red. "S-Shut up!" He slugged his brother on the arm. "It has nothing to do with her!"

...What the f*ck was going on here?

Pyrite sighed heavily, leaning back in the booth. "Knock it off, you two. Arceus."

Aurum tensed, and then scowled, glaring at his cousin. "I'll do whatever I want."

Okay, seriously, what the hell was going on?

I expected Pyrite to stiffen, but he didn't. I looked up over at him to see a confused expression on his face. He was probably wondering what everyone's problem was all of a sudden. Me too, Ry, me too.

"Dude, chill," he said, blinking. "Just don't cause a scene in here. Jeez."

"You know," Dodge said, speaking up for the first time. "I actually kinda miss Gio."

This time, Pyrite _did_ stiffen.

"Me too," I sighed, picking up the plastic spoon on my plate and scooping up some of my baked potato. "I hope he didn't get in trouble for traveling with us." I put the spoon in my mouth.

"Is he your boyfriend?" Aurum teased, smirking.

I spat out the food in my mouth, and it sprayed all over Carmine's face. She jerked, stiffening straight up. Xenon keeled over laughing while Mica just slapped his forehead.

"I swear to Arceus, Aurum," I growled. "I'm going to kick your motherf*cking a** into oblivion!"

He looked back at me from staring at Carmine's potato splattered face. "So he _is_ your boyfriend?"

I opened my mouth to retort, starting to stand up. "He is not-"

"Hi guys!" came the chipper voice of the very person we were discussing from right behind me. "Sorry I-"

"F*CKING D*MMIT DON'T SCARE ME LIKE THAT GIO!" I shrieked, my voice cracking up an octave as I whipped around to face him, still in the booth; I was stuck between my two friends, after all.

Gio flinched, his silver eyes widening. "I-I'm sorry! I was just really excited to be free so I could see you again..."

All my anger faded just looking at his face. He was just too cute to stay mad at.

...Forget I said that.

"Ugh, whatever," I grumbled, turning back around and sliding back down in the booth. "Welcome back, I guess."

"Amber," Carmine growled darkly, her hands clenching into fists. "Look what you did to me!"

"Yeah, so?" I retorted.

"Oh my gosh!" Gio gasped. "What happened to your face?!"

Mica facepalmed again.

"You little-" Carmine began again.

"STOP!" Pyrite suddenly yelled, making us all freeze in shock. "JUST SHUT UP ALREADY!"

Carmine was the first to unfreeze, grabbing a napkin to wipe her face. "P-Pyrite..." she breathed, stunned by his outburst.

"Don't 'Pyrite' me," he snapped, scowling at her. "I'm sick and tired of you two fighting. All I want is a peaceful and enjoyable time with my friends. I would have that if you, I don't know, stopped picking fights with Amber!"

She stared at him, her red eyes widening. "B-But-"

"No buts," he spat, his gold eyes cold and unforgiving. "Amber, you're willing to be civil with Carmine, right?"

I flinched, startled by the harshness he said my name with. "Uh... Y-Yeah... If she stopped p*ssing me off."

He gave the black-haired girl a pointed look. "See? It's all you. You're causing all the drama. I thought you were nice and all... But I guess you've shown your true colors, huh?"

She just stared at him, her face flushing, her eyes full of horror. It kind of made me pity her. She never expected this to happen, did she?

"But I... I..." She began to look frantic. "You can't do this to me!"

He blinked, narrowing his eyes. "What?"

Carmine was absolutely _losing_ it. Tears were filling her eyes, and her hands were clenched into fists. She was freaking out. What the hell?!

"I... I've liked you all these years!" she cried. "You can't say I'm more awful than her!" She pointed a finger at me, making me start a little. "Not when I've been so nice to everyone! Amber's the b*tch!"

...What the actual f*ck.

I think I finally understood.

Carmine was jealous of me.

She had to be! Why else would she bring _me_ into the mess she started? I had nothing to do with this! And she had her little fangirl-obsession-crush thing on Pyrite. She tried so hard to be better than me and impress Ry in hopes of winning him over. But now she undermined herself. She was desperate for some kind of approval. Hearing that Pyrite was disgusted with her tore her apart.

"...What?" Pyrite deadpanned, his eyes widening slightly. "What are you _talking_ about?"

"I like you!" she cried, the tears falling out of her eyes. "I like you! _I like you, Pyrite_!"

Oh hell no. That was it. F*cking b*tch had lost her mind.

I slammed my fists on the table, making everyone jump. "Shut. The. F*ck. _Up_."

"You shut up!" she snapped at me.

"No one likes you!" I retorted.

"No one likes _you_!" she snarled.

"Ha!" I snorted. "At least I've kissed a boy!"

Everyone froze again. I realized what I said.

...Sh*t. I DID IT AGAIN.

"_What_?!" she shrieked.

"Way to go Amber," Dodge deadpanned. "When are you going to watch what you say?"

I let out a strained laugh.

"You've... kissed... someone?" Gio breathed in shock.

"NEVER MIND THAT!" I exclaimed, frantic to get away from that. "My point is... Pyrite doesn't like you! Just f*ck off and leave him alone! He doesn't need your obsessive sh*t!"

Pyrite snapped out of his daze. "Yeah... Sorry, Carmine, but... I don't like you. And after how you've treated my friends... I don't want to."

She just stared at him. And stared. And stared some more. Then finally, she stood up, and without another word fled the scene. She dashed off, leaving us in an awkward silence. I sat back down, banging my back up against the back of the booth.

I felt... drained.

Even though she hurt me, it didn't feel good doing that to her.

"Carmine..." Aurum said softly, looking after her.

"What just happened?" Gio asked, his eyes wide.

"This is why I'm never getting romantically involved with girls," Dodge deadpanned.

"I'm an idiot," Pyrite groaned.

Wait, what? I looked over at him in confusion. He couldn't be regretting turning Carmine down?!

He noticed me looking at him. "...For not noticing," he added with a sigh. "It's my fault it got this far..."

"...Don't blame yourself," I mumbled. "She got all obsessed on her own."

"Why couldn't you have given her a chance?!" Aurum snapped, startling us all.

Pyrite met his gaze steadily, not bothered. "Because I already like someone else."

My heart seemed to skip a beat when he said that. My breath caught, and something about hearing him say that sent a shiver up my spine. Holy sh*t, why did that just happen?!

I realized I must have made some sort of noise because everyone looked at me. I let out fake cough. "Froakie in my throat," I lied, reaching for my soda pop.

The only ones not convinced were Pyrite and Dodge.

F*ck my life.

...

_Friday, August 27, 5018._

When I woke up the next day, I decided it was going to be a fresh start. I was going to try my best and not fight with anyone. I was just... tired of it. I stayed quiet throughout breakfast, letting the others talk. Carmine was silent as well, still embarrassed and awkward about yesterday. I couldn't blame her.

"I'm going to challenge Rai today," Pyrite announced.

Carmine started. "Oh my gosh... Are you ready?"

That was the first time she had spoken all day so far. I eyed her suspiciously. She better not be up to anything or we would be having some problems.

...Why did I even care about her stupid little crush-obsession on Pyrite?

Pyrite nodded, looking at her calmly. "Yeah. We battled a lot of wild pokemon on the way here. We should do fine."

That was a bit of an understatement.

"...Good luck," I forced myself to say, looking over at him. "Not that you need it."

He looked over at me, and his serious expression softened. "Thanks, Amber."

I shrugged, staying silent, and returning my attention to my food.

"I'm going to take Gio sightseeing," Dodge announced. "Ambs, you wanna come?"

I shook my head. "No thanks."

"But it would be a lot more fun with you around..." Gio whined dejectedly.

"Pffffft," Aurum scoffed. "We'll go with you two! Sometimes it just needs to be the guys!"

"Oh lovely," Mica sighed.

"Sounds like a plan!" Xenon cheered.

"What're you gonna do today, Carm?" Aurum asked, turning towards her.

"Oh... I dunno really," she said softly. "I was gonna ask Copal if she could give me a tour of the Contest Hall..."

"That would be cool!" Aurum exclaimed. "But do they even give tours...?"

She shrugged. "I don't know, but it doesn't hurt to try."

The conversation died down as we returned our attention to our breakfasts. I ate my food quietly, thinking. I had no idea what I was going to do today. I guess I would just take my pokemon and do some training. That couldn't hurt.

"Amber!"

I started a little, and looked up to see that my sister and her friends had approached our table. It was Copal that had spoken.

"What?" I asked.

"I want you to come with us," she said. "To the Contest Hall."

Carmine gasped, her red eyes widening. "Can I come too?!"

...B*tch, no.

"Sure!" Copal replied, smiling. "I wanted to show Amber some things, but you're welcome to come along, too!"

You had got to be kidding me! I couldn't believe this. What the hell, Copal? After yesterday and everything?!

"Do I _have_ to go?" Aryl grumbled, her arms crossed over her chest. "Contests are so stuffy."

"There isn't a Contest going," Coral sighed. "And Copal said she needed help choosing a dress."

Aryl snorted. "You wanna blow them away, Copal-chan? Go naked."

I choked on my oran juice.

"A-Aryl!" Copal gasped, her face flushing as red as a cheri berry. "D-Don't say stuff like that!"

Aurum burst out laughing, and Xenon snickered. The rest of us just stared at them, various stages of horrified looks on our faces. Oh. My. Freaking. Arceus.

"What?" She shrugged, not fazed at all. "Y'know it's true. Just look at yourself! You're _sexy_."

Copal slapped her forehead, still blushing furiously. "Stop it! That's gay!"

"Naw," Aryl deadpanned, not amused. "Look who you're talking to. So what?"

"We're. Just. _Friends_," Copal ground out, lowering her hand. "Just friends!"

"Aaaaaand...?" Aryl drawled out. "What if-"

"No! Stop it!" Copal exclaimed, throwing up her arms. "Knock it off! There's nothing going on between us!"

"I never said anything about that," Aryl replied, an innocent look on her face.

Oh sh*t. What the fu-

"Agh!" Copal cried in anguish, jerking her arms down to her sides. "Screw it! I'll just go there myself! I don't need your help!"

And with that, my sister stormed off, leaving us in an awkward silence. No one moved.

"What the f*ck just happened?" I deadpanned.

Coral sighed heavily, and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Aryl, you're an idiot."

"Heeeeey! She said all of that, not me!" Aryl cried in defense.

"Um, maybe you should just go, Amber..." Carmine murmured, looking down at her plate.

Of f*cking course.

Aryl sighed, scowling slightly. "Why do I _bother_?"

Coral placed her hand on her cousin's shoulder. "It'll be okay, Aryl..."

"I sure hope so."

...

The Contest Hall wasn't that hard to find after Coral gave me directions. When I left, Aryl was in a sour mood, and everyone else was kind of awkward. I was glad to have an excuse to get away from all the awk.

The Contest Hall was a large, impressive building. It was nice to look at, with its spiraling dome roof and stained glass windows. I walked up to the double doors, pulled one open, stepped inside. I didn't expect what I saw.

A large foyer stretched out before me. I could faintly hear classical music playing in the background. A gallery of photos of what I assumed were past victors was to my left. The front desk was straight ahead, with a woman behind it. Several doors lined the far back wall. There was a lounge to my right, where people were sitting and chatting. Some pokemon were out and about.

It was f*cking overwhelming.

_"Wow,"_ Juno breathed from where she was perched on my shoulder. _"This place is pretty sweet!"_

I took a couple of steps further inside, feeling very out of place here. I was a battler, not a coordinator. I didn't really belong here.

Where the hell was my sister?

"Oh! Are you new here?"

I started slightly, looking to my right to see a girl approaching me. She looked about sixteen years old, and was only a few inches taller than me. Her chocolate brown hair curled perfectly down to her shoulders, and her eyes shone bright blue. She was wearing a rather fancy-shmancy peach mini-dress with a floral print and white flats.

"I'm just looking for my sister," I responded once she reached me, and Juno nodded in agreement.

"What's her name?" the girl asked. "I may know her."

"...Copal Rosso-Senri."

The girl's eyes widened in shock. "I didn't know Copal had a sister! Oh, I'm Robin Moore. I'm friends with Copal. She just came in here several minutes ago and went to her dressing room. She seemed upset..."

I snorted. "That's an understatement."

Robin gasped. "Did she fight with Rai?!"

"...What? Hell no," I scoffed. "More like with Aryl."

She sighed. "Oh dear..."

"Look, I need to talk to her," I said. "Can you take me to where she is?"

"Okay, okay, yes, I can," she responded, turning around. "Follow me."

Robin led me through the door to the far right. We walked down a super long corridor lined with doors. She stopped at the door all the way at the end. The gold star on it read _VIP_.

"Here she is," said Robin. "Please help her."

"I will," I told her. "Thanks."

Finally, she left. I knocked on the door once she was gone, calling to my sister to let her know I was coming in. I opened the door, stepping inside the dressing room. My sister was sitting in front of a vanity that was pressed up against the far wall across from where I stood. A rack loaded with dresses was to my right.

Copal sighed, staring at herself in the mirror. She had taken her hair down, and it fell down to the bottom of her shoulder blades.

"Hey, Ambs," she greeted me, sounding drained. "Thanks for coming. Arceus, what's wrong with me?"

Maybe you needed to come out of that d*mn closet, Copal. Seriously, it was so f*cking obvious. It kind of freaked me out, but she was still my sister. Family was family, no matter what.

"No idea," I said, lying smoothly.

She pushed herself up off the stool, slowly turning around to face me. "I'm just... so... _confused_..."

"How?" I asked, frowning slightly.

"You know how I'm dating Rai?" she asked.

I nodded slowly. "Yeah... Why?"

"Well..." She sighed, looking down at her feet. "I just don't feel it."

"Feel what?" I asked, the confused one now.

She looked back up at me, obviously struggling to put whatever she was trying to say into words. "Like... I don't feel anything. When we kiss, nothing. Actually, it kind of grosses me out."

"Then why the hell are you still with him?!" I demanded incredulously.

Copal sighed, and sat back down. "Because... I feel... pressured to. Like... I'll disappoint everyone if I screw up the only relationship I've ever been in."

"Well," I replied. "I say f*ck society."

She laughed, smiling. "I wish it was that easy... But I'm a celebrity. Everyone's watching me. One slip up, and I'll be ruined forever."

I... never thought of that.

"When I see guys, I don't feel anything," she continued, looking down at her hands where they rested on her lap. "I don't feel... attracted to any of them. Not even my own boyfriend."

I stayed silent. What was I supposed to say?

"I think... I might... like... girls."

She _finally_ got it?!

"B-But I don't know!" she added hastily, flushing. "I'm not sure!"

"...And you're telling me this because...?"

She sighed. "I needed to vent to someone... And there's no way I can tell this to Coral. And definitely not Aryl..."

This was so f*cked up. Arceus.

I was feeling awkward just _listening_ to my sister talk about her confusion about her sexuality. I was having problems _myself_. But not in this way.

"Well," I said. "You vented. Can we move on now?"

"Y-Yeah..." She hopped back up onto her feet. "Okay! I'm going to show you the main dressing room where they keep all the dresses. And you're going to try some on."

"_What_?!" I shrieked.

"You used to wear dresses all the time!" she exclaimed. "You were so cute! There's nothing wrong with being pretty, Amber."

I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest. "Fine. Whatever. Let's just get it over with."

...

The large dressing room was absolutely _huge_. There were several long racks that were just _loaded_ with dresses. Mirrors practically covered all the walls. There were even what I thought were portable vanities.

"Holy sh*t," I breathed, staring at all of it.

Copal laughed, stopping beside me. "You think this is impressive? Hearthome City in Sinnoh has the largest, fanciest Contest Hall in the world. Pokéstar Studios outside Virbank City in Unova also has a pretty impressive dressing room reserved for the elite."

My sister strode forward, and I hastily followed suit. I really felt like I didn't belong here...

Copal halted next to a rack, and turned around to face me. "What are your three sizes?"

"Uh..." I sweatdropped. "No idea."

Considering I _never_ wore dresses, there was no point in knowing my sizes. I didn't really care either.

She sighed. "Of course. I'm going to have to measure you then."

...Sh*t.

"Oh, hell no," I groaned. "Is this really necessary?"

"I can't pick out dresses for you if I don't know your sizes!" she declared adamantly, putting her hands on her hips. "I'm your _sister_. Chill."

I really _did not_ like being touched. The only time I allowed it was during back rubs.

"Just do it!" I huffed.

The next few minutes were spent by me standing awkwardly while Copal measured my three sizes. It was f*cking embarrassing. Everything about me was... small. Relief flooded me when it was over.

"Okay!" Copal exclaimed after she finished writing down the numbers. "Time to dress up, Ambs!"

I was f*cking _overjoyed_.

I watched her in silence as she went through the dresses on a rack. I calmed down, several thoughts running through my mind.

...Would I even look pretty in a dress? Wasn't she just wasting her time? Wasn't I a lost cause?

"Ah! This is perfect!" Copal exclaimed, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Here, Amber!"

She shoved a light pink dress at me. I nearly dropped it.

"...I don't know how to put this on," I said mareepishly, looking down at the dress.

Copal sighed. "Okay, I'll help you."

...

I spent the next few hours as a doll. I tried on dress after dress, and Copal did different things with my hair every time. She gushed excitedly the entire time. It was annoying, but... I felt... beautiful.

I guess my low self esteem about my appearance was my own fault. When I was younger, maybe around eight or so, I didn't give a sh*t about what I looked like. I got dirty, cut up, and bruised from exploring the wilderness outside of Pallet Town, _and_ skateboarding. And I even got into fights sometimes. One day, in sixth grade, I got into a fight with this girl who called Cory gay _just_ because he didn't like what most other guys our age liked. She only managed to give me a black eye.

But now... I was in the real world.

I was constantly being compared to my mom. I had her golden blonde hair, and orange eyes. I also had some minor, small hair spiking from her. I was relieved that I had my dad's nose and my paternal grandmother's build and according to my dad, her fangs, too. But still... It was so hard to be unique.

And I had never felt pretty.

All my female friends were beautiful—Galena, Snow, Carnelian, and Quartz. My female relatives were gorgeous—Copal, Carmine, and even Opal. Aqua beat them all; she was just _stunning_. And then there was just me, with my thick, messy plain blonde hair, and boring orange eyes.

But now, thanks to my sister... I felt beautiful.

"There you go!" Copal exclaimed as she finished tying a black ribbon around my high ponytail. "Now look at yourself!"

This was the last dress. And it took my breath away.

The dress went down to my knees, the skirt flowing outwards. It was strapless, baring my shoulders. At the top, it started out as sky blue, and then slowly transformed to gold at the bottom, transitioning like a sunrise. It went from sky blue to light purple to pale pink to light orange to rich gold. I couldn't stop staring at it.

"Dad made this," Copal told me, putting her hands on her hips. "Just for you. How he guessed your sizes, I have no clue. But he made this in hopes that you'd try out a Contest. He wasn't able to get the material in time for your birthday, so he gave it to me to hand it to you a couple of days ago."

I was speechless. I reached down to lightly touch the skirt.

"Daddy... made this... just for me?" I whispered.

_Daddy_. That was something I hadn't called him in years. But it felt good to say it. I couldn't help but remember what I saw in the Pokémon Tower. My dad... was amazing.

"Yeah, he did," Copal replied, smiling softly; I could see her behind me in the mirror. "Dad's just awesome that way."

I agreed completely.

"So... Are you gonna try out a Contest? There's no openings in the one coming up here, but I could get you in, say, Celadon."

Contests, huh? They were a lot different from battles. You had to make your pokemon look good. Certain pokemon were more suitable for Contests than others. I was pretty sure most of my team wasn't suited for them.

I just shook my head. "Contests aren't my thing."

She laughed. "I knew you'd say that. Just don't waste the dress, okay?"

"I won't," I promised, even thought I had no idea of what to do with it.

...

_(Carmine's POV)_

Pyrite came back just in time for lunch. I almost couldn't bring myself to talk to him after what happened yesterday, but I forced myself to. He won the Thunder Badge! He said the battle was really hard, and that he almost lost, but I wasn't surprised he won. I mean, this was _Pyrite_ we were talking about! He was awesome!

"Dude," Aurum breathed, his eyes wide. "Rai is so strong, he knocked out your _deino_?"

We were sitting at a round table since there were no booths available, not to mention too many of us.

Pyrite nodded, his expression serious. "Yeah. His raichu knows _Volt Tackle_."

"What?!" I gasped, my eyes widening. "Really?!"

He looked over at me, and for a moment I got really nervous, but he just nodded. "If it wasn't for Ex's Blaze activating, we would've lost."

"And that's why I'm not challenging the Vermillion Gym," Dodge deadpanned.

Well, Dodge really wouldn't have stood a chance up against Rai anyways. He specialized in water-types, after all, and Rai used electric-types.

"We have a lot of training to do, then," Xenon grumbled. "Arceus."

I pursed my lips and looked down at my plate. Would I be strong enough to defeat Rai? I mean, I lost to _Amber_... It was so humiliating, losing to both your rival in pokemon and in love.

Yeah, Pyrite said he didn't like me, never would, and that he liked someone else... but I couldn't just give up!

"Well, if you're that concerned about winning, why not ask Coral, Aryl, or Copal to help you train?" Pyrite suggested.

"Ooooh! Great idea, cuz!" Aurum exclaimed, his gold eyes lighting up. "Aryl for sure!"

"Are you crazy?" Mica snorted. "Aryl has an insane training regimen. She would work us to death. Our best bet is Coral."

"Nooooooo!" Xenon exclaimed, shaking his head. "Copal! She's the nicest!"

Pyrite, Dodge, and I sweatdropped. They began to argue about it. We sat in awkward silence, letting them fight. Then I had enough.

"Hey!" I exclaimed. "Why don't you just go ask all of them, guys?"

The triplets froze.

"That's... BRILLIANT!" Aurum exclaimed, leaping from his seat. "You're amazing, Carmine!"

"Huh?" I felt my face flush. "Ahahaha... I'm not, really. But thanks!"

Dodge slapped his forehead. "Why are you all so oblivious...?"

Pyrite stiffened as I frowned in confusion. What was that supposed to mean?

"Carmine!"

I nearly jumped out of my seat. I turned around to see my cousin and rival, Amber. She looked a little different, and I realized she had a black ribbon tied around her ponytail. Where did that come from? And why was she wearing it? It made her look kind of cute...

"What?" I asked warily.

She gave me an irritated, dry look. "I need you to come with me."

"Why?"

Now she looked even more irritated. "You're interested in Contests, right?"

"Oh, yeah!" I exclaimed, nodding. "But what does that have to do with anything?"

"Will you just come with me?!" she snapped, her temper flaring. "Arceus! Copal wants to show you something!"

I flinched slightly at her outburst, and then scowled. Man, I sure missed Amber's old self... back when we were friends. Now I couldn't stand her.

"Okay, okay," I retorted icily. "I'm coming, I'm coming." I stood up, pushing back my chair. "Aurum, will you take care of my lunch for me?"

"...Yeah, yeah," he sighed. "See you later."

Huh? What was with the sudden change? I pushed the thoughts aside. I needed to be focused when dealing with Amber. There was no time to think about Aurum's odd behavior.

"Thanks!" I exclaimed. "Bye-bye!"

I turned around, picking up my bag, and headed off with my cousin. Once we were outside, Juno released herself from her poke ball and jumped up onto her trainer's shoulder. I should let Carolina out, too! I reached into my bag to get her poke ball.

"You're oblivious as f*ck," Amber suddenly told me.

"W-What?" I gasped, looking down at her in shock, holding Carolina's poke ball in my hand.

Amber groaned, whipping back her head to stare at the sky. "About everything! And you don't treat Aurum right."

"What?!" I demanded, getting angry; how dare she say that to me! "Like you treat him any better!"

"He's my _cousin_," she snapped right back. "And a perv, but I still love him. You always push him back to being like a servant when Pyrite's around!"

"I do not!" I exclaimed angrily, stopping dead in my tracks. "He's one of my best friends!"

Amber stopped, and turned around to face me, her eyes hard with anger. "Then start _treating_ him like one. Aurum may be a gross pervert, but he's got a good heart. That he needs to show more. But still."

I was so confused. Where was this coming from? What did I do to deserve this?

"Just... think about others for a change," she said, her gaze flickering down to the ground. "How they feel. What they've been through."

I stayed silent, just staring at her.

"You put too much focus on Pyrite," she added, looking back up at me.

"I do not!" I cried, clenching my hands into fists. "He's going to be my husband some day!"

She laughed loudly. "Ha! Dream on, Carmine! Don't you know what 'I don't like you and never will' means?!"

I scowled. "Then I'll make him love me!"

This time she stiffened, shut up, and narrowed her eyes at me. "You can't force someone to love you, Carmine. It doesn't work that way. You're so obsessive. The whole world won't end if you don't get your way just once. You're a f*cking spoiled little princess who thinks she can get whatever she wants. Pyrite isn't some prize to be won. He isn't a Gym badge! He has feelings of his own. He said he liked someone already, didn't he? Why can't you leave him the hell alone and just wish for his happiness?! If you really loved him, that's what you'd do."

I was... what?! There was no way that could be true! I couldn't believe her! I couldn't accept that!

"You're one to talk," I snapped. "You always get what you want!"

She laughed, like I was being so funny. "Where have you been? I never get my way."

I stayed silent for a second, taking the moment to release Carolina and put her poke ball away. Amber tensed, as did Juno, who was still on her shoulder. The emolga perched on top of my head.

"I have to work hard," she continued, her voice like ice. "I rarely see my parents together for a full day. I have to babysit my siblings. I've had to earn my rewards. and I've gotten a lot of sh*t. What about _you_, Carmine? When have you ever had to work hard for anything?"

I... couldn't counter that. Because she was right. And I hated that.

I was used to being pampered. I had been the baby of the family for a long time. Finn even spoiled me a little... There was nothing I couldn't have. My dad was the former Champion of Unova, for Arceus's sake!

"Thought so," Amber spat, turning around. "You can walk yourself to the Contest Hall. I'm done."

And with that, she walked away, leaving me alone with Carolina.

...I couldn't let her win. I had to prove her wrong. Somehow.

I wouldn't lose.

...

_Saturday, August 28, 5018._

_(Amber's POV)_

"There's a cruise starting next week," Coral told us. "For the Indigo Elite Four, along with the Unova League's."

"Mom and Dad got us a bunch of tickets," Copal added with a smile. "Including you guys!"

"Oh my Arceus!" Carmine gasped, her red eyes widening. "Really?! A cruise?!"

Now just hearing her voice irritated me.

"The Contest Society is involved too," Copal added. "It's supposed to be really big."

Aryl snorted, leaning back in her chair. "Dunno why. It's not like they haven't all gathered together before."

Both Copal and Coral rolled their eyes at her.

"A cruise, huh?" Dodge mused. "Sounds fun! Wanna go, guys?"

"We _definitely_ have to go!" Carmine exclaimed, looking all bright and happy. "Right guys?!"

"Hell yeah!" Aurum cheered, grinning.

"Definitely!" Xenon agreed.

Mica sighed heavily. "Joyous."

"I think we could use a break," Pyrite stated, finally getting a chance to say something. "So yeah, I agree."

"Well, if you're all going, so will I!" Gio exclaimed.

Everyone looked over at me, waiting for my answer. I took a drink of my oran juice, setting the cup back down on the table.

"I guess so," I finally replied, shrugging slightly. "We still have time to get the Thunder Badge, right?"

Copal nodded. "Mmhmm. You have a week! If you still can't beat him by then..."

I stood up, pushing back my chair, and grabbed my bag and put it on my shoulder. "I'm going to challenge him now."

They all looked up at me with surprise. I finished off my oran juice, and then picked up my tray.

"Can we watch?" asked Copal.

"...Sure," I said, turning around.

I walked over to the trashcan and dumped the remains from my tray. I set it down on top of the bin. Juno released herself from her poke ball, leaping up onto my shoulder. I turned back around to see that everyone was preparing to leave.

I moved out of the way so they could get rid of their garbage. I waited silently, and then headed out of the cafeteria and Pokémon Center with them once they were ready. I stayed quiet as we walked to the Gym. I had nothing to say.

When we got to the Gym, Rai was alone. He was sitting in the back of the battle room, with what I recognized as a raichu. Holy sh*t, he had a raichu?! That was not good for me...

"Rai!" Copal called, stepping past all of us.

He looked up, and his eyes brightened when he saw his girlfriend. "Copal!"

He stood up, and the raichu stepped to the side. Copal and Rai met about halfway through the room, and shared an embrace. I wondered what my sister was thinking. Then he tried to kiss her, but she suddenly put her hand on his chest and pushed him away. Rai looked shocked.

"My sister is here to battle you," she said, not even addressing pushing him away.

"Ah," he said, still looking a bit surprised and confused. "All right, then!"

The two parted, and Copal started walking back towards us, looking a little awkward. I pushed my sister's problems out of my mind as I stepped forward. We passed each other on the way.

Everyone started gathering the chairs, arranging them so they could sit down and watch. Rai moved down back to where his raichu was, so I assumed that was his side of the battle field. Juno leaped off my shoulder once I found my spot.

I was starting to feel nervous. Rai was supposed to be super strong, after all.

"All right!" Rai exclaimed, putting his hands on his hips. "This will be a four-on-four battle! You should know the rest of the rules by now!"

Sh*t, four-on-four?! That was definitely different. Rocky and Marina hadn't had that many pokemon...

I nodded, doing my best to stay calm. "Right."

He grinned, his smile dazzling; d*mn, he was hot. "Just because you're Copal's sister doesn't mean I'll go easy on you!" He took a poke ball off his belt. "Let's go, Jolteon!"

Yep, a jolteon materialized before us. It let out a battle cry, its yellow fur spiking with electricity as it charged its body. It looked strong—maybe even stronger than Gio's jolteon.

I took a deep breath to calm myself. I had to keep a level head. I reached into my bag and pulled out a poke ball.

"Go! Diana!" I exclaimed, releasing the butterfree.

Rai looked surprised. Okay, it was a risky move, I'd admit, but I had a trick up my sleeve.

_"Let's do this, Trainer!"_ Diana exclaimed with determination.

It was my turn to grin. "Right!"

"You have the honors!" Rai said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Okay," I replied, feeling determined. "Diana! Poison Powder!"

The butterfree flew above the jolteon as purple dust began to form on her wings. Once above it, she flapped harder, sending the powder down on the eeveelution in torrents. It cried out in pain as it was poisoned.

Rai grimaced. "D*mmit. Jolteon, use Thunderbolt!"

...Sh*t.

Electricity crackled around the jolteon's body, its fur spiking out even more dangerously. A bolt of voltage shot from it towards Diana. My butterfree cried out in agony, her whole body going rigid as she was hit. And then she dropped like a rock.

...Double sh*t.

Silently, I took out Diana's poke ball, and returned her to it. "Thanks, Diana."

Rai returned his jolteon as well.

...Triple sh*t.

I was screwed, wasn't I?

No, no, I couldn't lose my cool. I pulled out another poke ball, taking another deep breath to calm myself.

"You're up, Ceres!" I exclaimed, releasing the pokemon.

The breloom appeared in a flash of light, looking very eager to fight. _"Ooooh yeah, it's my turn!"_

"Ampharos!" Rai exclaimed, sending out his next pokemon.

_"Come at me bro!"_ Ceres taunted the ampharos, who did not look amused.

_"I'm female,_" it deadpanned.

_"So?!"_ Ceres demanded, putting her hands on her hips. _"I am too!"_

Oh, for the love of Arceus. "Ceres! Mach Punch, now!" I commanded.

"Thunder Punch!" ordered Rai.

...F*ck.

Ceres lunged forward, her right fist glowing. The ampharos was just as fast, golden electricity surging up around her whole left arm. The two collided, their fists slamming into each other. They stayed like that, trying to overpower the other. I could tell that Ceres was struggling.

In less than a minute, the ampharos overtook her. The breloom was overpowered, the Thunder Punch pushing her Mach Punch back all the way. Ceres was thrown back, hitting the ground on her back and sliding several feet. She did not get back up.

I just stared at my second fallen pokemon, the reality of the situation dawned on me. I reached to get Ceres's poke ball, and when I picked it up, I realized my hand was shaking. I returned her.

"Good job, Ceres," I said, looking at her through the poke ball's red lid before putting the device away.

There was no way I could win this now. Rai still had four conscious pokemon and I was down to two.

But... I couldn't just give up. That wouldn't be fair to my pokemon. I wouldn't go down without fighting.

"Okay," I said, taking out my next poke ball. "Jupiter! C'mon!"

The shiny charmeleon didn't come out as his bored, lazy self this time. He looked agitated, seriously pumped. He snarled, baring his fangs at the ampharos. His scales glinted, and Rai's eyes widened, obviously surprised that I had a shiny.

"Ampharos, return," he said, calling back the pokemon. "Electivire, let's go!"

Oh, hell no.

The thunderbolt pokemon, as it was called, appeared before us. It was huge, standing at nearly six feet. It growled, swaying its two black tails. Jupiter didn't seem fazed at all. But he had to realize this was a suicide mission. The charmeleon wasn't stupid.

How in Arceus's name did Pyrite beat this guy?!

"Jupiter," I said, struggling to keep a cool head. "Dragon Pulse."

"Electivire, use Thunder!" Rai commanded.

Dark clouds began to form at the ceiling of the gym as a sphere of blue energy gathered in Jupiter's mouth. Dragon Pulse released first, shooting across the arena from the charmeleon's gaping jaws. Right as the pulsing blue energy hit the electivire a wicked lightning bolt shot down from the storm clouds.

Jupiter didn't make a sound. He just collapsed. He tried to push himself back up, but he fell right back down. I couldn't breathe.

It really was over.

I was so stupid to think I could defeat Rai and win the Thunder Badge.

I was so out of everyone's league.

I would always be weak...

My pokemon tried so hard for me and this was the outcome...

I squeezed my eyes shut, fighting back the tears that were pricking in my eyes. I couldn't cry here, in front of everyone. I couldn't show my weakness. I had humiliated myself enough already.

I opened my eyes, and reached into my bag for my starter's poke ball. I looked at the golden charmeleon where he lay on the ground, unconscious. He deserved someone so much better than me. I returned him to the device.

"Thank you, Jupiter," I muttered, my voice shaking, my grip tightening on the poke ball.

"Hey... Are you okay?" Rai called, frowning.

"I-I'm fine," I said, putting the poke ball back into my bag. "I'm totally fine."

I was getting really good at lying lately...

Rai didn't seem convinced, though. "All right... Come on back, Electivire."

He put the pokemon's poke ball away once he had returned it. We stood in silence for a moment. We were down to the last round. It would be over soon.

"Juno," I said quietly.

"You ready, Raichu?" Rai asked, looking down at his own electric mouse.

_"You bet!"_ the raichu exclaimed, its voice faintly masculine, and then he walked up to stand before his trainer on the battlefield.

_"I won't lose!"_ Juno declared adamantly, electricity crackling from her red cheeks.

She jumped out in front of me, looking very determined. But I knew it was over. I was still fighting back the tears, the horrible, numbing feeling of failure creeping up on me. So much had happened these past couple of days. And now I would lose...

_"Hey, Amber! Lemme use Volt Tackle!"_ Juno looked back up at me. _"That should do the trick!"_

"Fine," I said, my hands clenching into fists. "Juno, use Volt Tackle!"

"Oh, we'll do that too!" Rai exclaimed with a grin. "Raichu! Show 'em _your_ Volt Tackle!"

...What?!

Juno leaped up into the air, voltage exploding around her body, streaming behind her. The raichu smirked as electricity charged around him as well, surrounding with a wall of volts that dwarfed my pikachu. But she didn't notice. She just blasted towards him, and the raichu leaped up into the air, lunging at her as well.

"JUNO!" I screamed, leaping forward. "NO! STOP!"

But it was too late.

The two electric mice collided. A piercing boom blasted my eardrums, and a wave of smoke exploded from them, whipping my hair back and blinding me. I staggered back a step because the force was so great. Something came hurling my way through the smoke. Something yellow.

"Juno!" I cried, diving for the flying pikachu.

I barely managed to catch her before I hit the ground, sliding forward on my stomach. The smoke cleared, revealing a barely scratched raichu and his triumphant trainer. My body ached as I pushed myself up onto my knees, clutching my pikachu to my chest.

"J-Juno," I choked, the tears finally escaping from my eyes.

She was knocked out cold, her body covered in electric burns. I wasn't sure if she was paralyzed, but it seemed like it. I could barely breathe.

Juno, my pikachu, my partner, knocked out in one hit, severely injured.

We lost.

We were utterly destroyed.

I was a failure.

* * *

><p><strong>Well.<strong>

**Uh...**

**AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA**

**First of all, I apologize for no Valentine's Special. Life threw me a curve ball and all motivation for it drained with it. **

**ANYWAYS**

**A LOT HAPPENED**

**AND THIS IS JUST THE FIRST PART **

**This chapter is so long and eventful, I decided to split it into two. **

**CARMINE KAZUO**

**I bet she shocked you, huh? Well, Carmy was much too perfect before, so I had to change that. Now you know her true self. Her character development has sort of begun. And now she's an even better foil for Amber.**

**And any chances of Hero have crashed and burned.**

**COPAL ROSSO-SENRI**

**That's right people, she was born with a weak heart. And you now know her backstory. That explains a lot, huh?**

**AND SUMMER ASDFGHJKL**

**Rai's pretty cool, but I feel bad for dragging him into this mess.**

**THAT IS ALL**

**REVIEWS ARE LOVE**


	16. 14: Raichu's Thundering Reign: Part II

**EVERMORE**

**~Sequel Of The Forever Trilogy~**

**Chapter 14**

**Raichu's Thundering Reign **

**Part 2**

_Sunday, August 29, 5018._

_(Amber's POV)_

I couldn't bring myself to face anyone after the battle.

Juno had been so terribly injured that the nurse in the Pokémon Center wanted to keep her under surveillance. Rai apologized repeatedly about it, but it wasn't his fault that his raichu was so strong. I let Juno use Volt Tackle in the first place...

I sighed heavily, staring at the ceiling above me in my room in the Pokémon Center. I was laying on my bed, all motivation drained right from me. It was just so embarrassing, since I had pretty much cried in front of everyone. I was supposed to be tough. But seeing Juno hurt like she was just was too much for me to take. So much sh*t was happening. I just needed to escape already.

I wondered what everyone else was doing right now...

More like I wondered what stupid sh*t Carmine was trying right now.

Ugh, no, I didn't want to think about her right now.

I groaned, and rolled onto my stomach, looking down from my bed. Jupiter was the only pokemon out, laying next to the side of the bed. His eyes were closed, his back rising up and down slowly as he breathed. He seemed so calm and at peace. I wished I could be like that.

I wished I could be like anything other than the way I was now.

One emerald green eye opened up and looked up at me. Jupiter wasn't asleep. He was very aware of his surroundings, as always. Nothing could fool the charmeleon. I reached down to skim my finger over the top of his head.

"What should I do, Jupiter...?" I whispered to my starter pokemon.

_"Do not give up hope,"_ he told me, not moving a muscle.

Copal pretty much said the same thing a couple of days ago...

Just then, there was a light knock on my door. "Hey, Ambs, it's Copal! Can I come in?"

I sighed, pushing myself up into a sitting position. "Sure," I called back lamely.

The door opened, and my sister stepped inside. She held the door open for her shiny umbreon, who was obviously out of his poke ball. They both paused.

"You don't mind if Eon's out, do you?" she asked. "He hasn't been able to stretch his legs lately."

"No, it's okay," I said as Jupiter pushed himself up into a sitting position.

_"Thank you!"_ the umbreon exclaimed, scampering a bit further into the room as his trainer shut the door behind her.

"How are you feeling?" Copal asked, stopping in front me where I sat on my bed.

"...All right." She gave me a look. "Okay, not so hot."

She sat down next to me. Jupiter shifted to the side to make room for Eon. The umbreon sat down in front of my sister. We sat in silence for a moment or two. I reached up to run a hand through my messy bangs, pushing them away from my eyes.

"You can't let this get you down, Amber," Copal finally said, looking over at me, her deep blue eyes calm and serious. "Everyone loses at one point. And y'know? Rai kicked my butt the first time I challenged him too."

My eyes widened. "Seriously?"

_"Ugh, don't remind me,"_ Eon grumbled. _"Raichu was really tough all the way back then, too."_

Copal laughed lightly, and then nodded. "Yep. It pretty bummed me out. I thought I'd never be able to beat him. But you know what? I forced myself to keep going and I beat him in the end!"

I looked down at Jupiter, who steadily met my gaze. I could feel that he would stand by me no matter what decision I made.

"But... I made myself look so stupid..." I mumbled, looking down at my hands on my lap. "I cried in front of everyone..."

Copal placed her hand on my shoulder. "You know what? I cried too. That was my first loss ever. I didn't know what to do. Aryl almost beat him up because he 'made' me cry. Ahahahaha..."

Dear Arceus...

"My point is, Amber," she said, "you have to keep on going. Like I said before, everyone makes mistakes. Not every day is gonna be perfect. You just have to keep pushing on. Don't give up on your dreams! You can do anything you set your mind to! And I believe in you."

I...

I surprised Copal by suddenly throwing my arms around her and hugging her. I hugged my sister tight, pressing my face into her chest. D*mn, she was kind of soft. Anyways, she froze up slightly with surprise, before loosening up and putting her arms around me to hug me back.

How in the name of Arceus did I forget that I had such an amazing sister?

"It's okay," she said gently, resting her cheek on top of my head. "You'll be okay, Amber... I'll always be here for you."

"T-Thank you... Copal..." I breathed, my voice muffled.

She let out a light laugh. "That's what sisters are for."

Yeah... She was right... I would have done the same thing for Lazuli if she ever needed it. Hell, I would have done it for Cory or the twins. Family would always be family, even if we were so different from each other.

I would always have my family to fall back on if I ever lost my friends...

...

_(Aryl's POV)_

It was a smoking hot day today. I went out with Fox for our daily morning walk to find it smoldering. It was so hot we could barely stand twenty minutes before deciding to head back inside the Pokémon Center into the cool air conditioning.

I was sitting in the lounge, on a couch, just chilling. I wondered what Copal and Coral were going to do today. Copal was probably going to spend some time with Rai. I scowled, snorting to myself. I really couldn't stand that guy from the moment I first saw him. Something about him just irritated me.

I huffed to myself, leaning back and crossing my arms over my chest. Just thinking about the guy p*ssed me off. I looked up at the pale ceiling, trying to force myself to think about something else. Anything else.

Maybe I should go find Coral? No, she probably wanted to be left alone. She liked to go off on her own from time to time. I didn't blame her.

I wondered what Cade and Finn were up to. Aqua, too. I hadn't seen them in a few days. Hyacinth was probably busy with challengers. I wondered how many of the younger kids she had battled yet?

"Aryl!"

I looked towards where the voice came from. It was Copal, and she had Amber with her. I didn't move, waiting for the sisters to reach me.

"Yeah?" I asked, looking up at them.

"Would you do me a favor?" Copal asked.

Ooooh, a favor? I wondered what it was. Ehehehe... Oh Arceus no, I needed to stop thinking like that. I doubted it would be what I secretly hoped it to be. I had such a dirty mind. I blamed Uncle Goldy. And my time in Unova when it was just me and my dad. I was up to some... interesting things. Aha. Ahahaha.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Would you mind training with Amber?" she asked. "To help her prepare for her rematch with Rai. You're the best out of all of us when it comes to training!"

Oi, help her beat the sh*t out of that b**tard boyfriend of hers? I would _love_ to do that! But I couldn't make that obvious without upsetting—or worse, _angering_—Copal. So I had to pretend I didn't really care.

"Weeeeeeell..." I drawled, looking back up at the ceiling. "I dunno..."

"Aryl!" she groaned. "Please! Help my sister. _Please_."

Heh. She was practically begging me.

"All right, all right, I'll do it," I said, sounding so pained and inconvenienced as I pushed myself up off the couch.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, obviously pleased. "Thanks so much, Aryl!"

"It's noth-" I began.

But I cut myself off when she suddenly hugged me. I froze, absolutely shocked. Copal rarely did stuff like that. I didn't know how I was supposed to react to that; it was way too abrupt. But... on the bright side... it felt nice.

"Helloooo? I'm here too, y'know," came the irritated voice of Amber. "Don't act all touchy-feely around me please."

I think Copal realized what she was doing then. She jerked away from me, her face flushing bright red. D*mmit. The nice moment was over with.

"Uh, r-right!" she stammered, embarrassed as hell. "I-I have to go meet with Robin to practice for the Contest! I-I'll see you later!"

Without another word, she dashed away, leaving me in awkward silence with her little sister. I just stood there, trying to process what just happened. I groaned, and rubbed my eyes.

"F*ck my life," I muttered.

Amber sighed. "So what are we gonna do?"

I looked down at her, trying not to be agitated that she ruined the moment. "Let me think for a sec."

"Okay, okay, jeez," she grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.

...I should probably be nice to her. She was going through a rough time right now. And, well, I didn't want to look bad to Copal. I sighed heavily, stuffing my hands into my shorts' pockets. I had some work to do, something to help take my mind off things. I needed that.

"First, we have to change clothes," I stated. "It's smoking out, and besides, you'll want to have work out clothes when you're training with me. I don't just train my pokemon; I train myself, too."

"What?!" she gasped, her eyes widening with shock.

It was true. My dad taught me when we went training together, just the two of us, about two years ago, that it wasn't fair to the pokemon if we didn't work as hard as they did. I worked out with my pokemon. We made ourselves stronger together.

I shrugged. "That's what I do. And if you're gonna train with me, you're going to do the same. Let me teach you."

"Work... with my pokemon?" she asked slowly, as if she was contemplating it by every word.

I nodded. "Yup. So go back upstairs to your room and change into something more suitable. I'm going to do the same."

"...All right," she sighed. "Anything to get stronger... and beat Rai."

Ooooh, yeah. I was gonna work her so hard there was no way she could lose to that b**tard. I guess you could say I had my own little agenda, but honestly, if Copal asked me to help her train to beat a Gym leader other than her boyfriend, I still would have agreed. I mean, Amber was Copal's little sister! Any family of Copal's was my family too. I had always felt that way, even before I fell in love with her.

"That's the spirit!" I cheered, grinning down at her. "Turn that frown upside down! C'mon, hurry, we don't have all day! You gotta get the Thunder Badge before the cruise, y'know!"

"Agh, don't remind me!" she snapped, huffing. "Okay, okay, I'm going!"

...

_(Amber's POV)_

As soon as I stepped outside into the steaming, hot air, I wanted to turn around and head back inside to the cool, air-conditioned Pokémon Center. I swore it had never been this f*cking hot before. I already felt like I was sweating. Training was going to be a _blast_.

"D*mmit," Aryl grumbled as she stopped next to me. "I was hoping it was gonna cool down a bit. Oh well. There's nothing we can do about it."

I was so screwed. I could feel it already.

"So, where are we going?" I asked, looking up at the tall girl.

She looked down at me. "Oi, to the route north of here. It leads to Saffron, too."

"Okay," I said just as Juno released herself from her poke ball as usual, leaping up onto my shoulder. "Let's go, then."

She smirked mischievously, like she was already planning what she was gonna do. "A'right! Follow me, Ambs!"

Aryl headed off then, her backpack on her shoulders, and her zorua running beside her. Juno tightened her grip on my shoulder as I followed, so she wouldn't fall off. I sighed, lifting my bag's strap further up onto my free shoulder, and then followed her.

I wondered how exactly we were going to do this...

When we got to the route, I wasn't surprised to see it empty. Usually places like this, especially right outside of a city, were packed with trainers. But not today. It was _waaaaaay_ too f*cking hot for that. And Aryl was dragging us right out into it.

"All right! Here we are!" Aryl declared, dumping her backpack down onto the path. She whipped around to face me. "But first! We're gonna upgrade your pokemon's moves!"

"Huh?" I stopped right in front of her, confused as hell. "Whaddaya mean?"

She crouched down and opened her pack. "TMs! Or Technical Machines, whatever you wanna call them. I've got a bunch, and you're welcome to use them! HMs, too, or Hidden Machines. You know about them, right?"

I nodded, watching her pull out some sort of yellow case. "Yeah, how could I not?"

She laughed. "Good point. Anyways, you can use TMs and HMs as much as you want. So, you're welcome to use some of mine on your pokemon!"

Juno let out a happy cry. _"Awesome! Thanks so much, Aryl!"_

"She says thanks," I told her as she unzipped the case, revealing many TM discs.

"No prob, Junes," Aryl laughed, now taking some sort of machine out of her bag. "A'right! Who's up first? Junes, I take it?"

_"Definitely!"_ Juno cried, jumping down from off my shoulder. _"Whatcha got?!"_

Jeez, I didn't think she would have been that excited. It just amused Aryl even more. I sighed, and sat down behind the pikachu so I wouldn't strain myself.

"All righty, so what do you wanna teach Junes?" Aryl asked me. "Think about her weaknesses and stuff, that kind of thing. Or just a move that would be good to teach her in general."

I pursed my lips, thinking for a moment. "What about... a ground-type move?" I asked, thinking of the rematch I would be having against Rai soon.

"Oh! You'd probably want Dig, then," she said, reaching into the case and pulling out a brown TM disc. "Here we go! TM28, otherwise known as Dig!"

Juno grinned, flashing her tiny little fangs. _"I bet that raichu'll never see this coming!"_

I watched in silence as Aryl put the TM disc into the machine, and then had Juno sit in front of it. I had never seen how one used a TM or HM, so I had no idea what she was doing. She turned the machine on, and then there was a bright, blinding flash of light. When it faded and I could see again, the machine was faintly smoking.

"D*mmit," Aryl muttered. "This thing's getting old. I didn't want to have to buy a new one, but I'm going to have to after we finish up with your pokemon."

We continued to use several different TMs and one HM on my pokemon. It made me feel a lot better knowing my pokemon now had much stronger moves in their arsenal. Though I was curious...

"Where'd you get all these TMs and HMs?" I asked as she was putting them away.

"Oi, my dad," she replied, zipping up the case. "He gives me five new ones every year for my birthday. It's his way of helping me in the way he can, I guess. I think he feels bad for not being around as much as he wanted to when I was little."

Well, I could relate to that in a way. When I was younger, my mom was either busy with the Gym or helping her friends with what remained of the Resistance and the developing Neo-Indigo League. It was just my dad, Cory, me, and probably Copal but I couldn't really remember. Mom usually made it up somehow, but still.

"That's cool," I said.

She shrugged. "I think his seriousness about battling rubbed off on me, haha. But I wouldn't trade him for anyone else."

Yeah... I felt the same way about my dad. Sometimes he was a bit too girly but he was still my dad and I would always love him.

"Enough about that!" she exclaimed, hopping back onto her feet. "It's time to get to business!" She crackled her knuckles, a vicious grin forming on her lips.

Okay, I was getting a little nervous now.

I pushed myself up onto my feet, dusting off my gym shorts. Juno stayed on the ground, looking up at her suspiciously. Fox, her zorua, who was still out, leaped up onto her shoulder. Aryl pulled out another poke ball.

"C'mon, Buck!" she exclaimed, releasing a sawsbuck, who was in its summer coat. "This is Buck. He's my weakest pokemon. And he's gonna help Ceres train."

...Didn't Ceres have an type advantage to him? Or was that the point?

"Okay," I said, reaching into my bag to get her poke ball. "Let's go, Ceres!"

The breloom materialized before me, and Juno leaped back up onto my shoulder. The sawsbuck didn't seem too bothered; he shifted on his hooves, waiting for some sort of direction.

_"What the hell are we doing?"_ Ceres demanded, looking back at me.

"Training," I replied. "How exactly are we doing this?"

"Buck is going to serve as a punching bag for Ceres," Aryl answered, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm going to teach her some fighting techniques. And you're going to participate, too."

"What?!" I demanded, shocked.

She smirked, and winked. "I'm gonna teach you hand-to-hand-combat."

"...Is that really necessary?" I asked warily.

Her eyes hardened with seriousness. "Trust me, if it comes down to it, you want to be able to defend yourself on your own. You can never be too safe."

Well, I suppose that was true. She did have a good point.

"All right, fine," I sighed. "Let's get started then."

...

_(Pyrite's POV)_

Since it was so hot out, we all decided to stay inside like everyone else with a sensible brain. The triplets had dragged Gio into a game of poker, and ironically he was beating them. Carmine was watching them with interest. I was sitting next to Dodge, bored out of my mind.

I hoped Amber was all right. I hadn't seen her at all today. After what happened yesterday, I couldn't help but worry about her.

Dodge sighed heavily from his seat next to me. I looked over at him; he was leaning forward, his elbows propped up on his knees with his head resting on his hands. He looked just as bored as I was.

There was seriously nothing to do today.

Just then, I heard the front doors of the Pokémon Center slide open. I thought nothing of it until a familiar voice screeched at us.

"DODGERRRRRRRRRR!"

Dodge jerked upright, his whole body going rigid and his eyes wide with horror. Oh crap. This only meant one thing...

"BIG BRO! I WAS TALKING TO YOU!"

Arceus help us all.

Brooke Kaigun was here.

I watched in mild horror as the blue-haired eleven-year-old stormed up to us. Brooke was something else entirely. She was of average height for her age, though kind of skinny, scrawny even. She had wild, messy dark blue hair that went down to her chin, and light blue eyes. Her skin was dark with tan because she spent so much time outside. She was a tomboy, and that showed with her scrunched up blue t-shirt that was tied off to the side, navy blue Bermuda shorts, and sneakers.

"...Go away," Dodge retorted, having finally snapped out of his daze.

"I'm not going anywhere!" she exclaimed defiantly, sticking her tongue out at him. "Mom and Daddy decided to come here early because of the cruise!"

...Oh crap.

You had got to be _kidding_ me.

Dodge groaned, slapping his forehead.

Brooke smirked deviously. "So. Why you so mad, bro? Is it because I interrupted your time with your boyfriend?"

...Yep, there we go...

Dodge's eye twitched and his hands clenched into fists as everyone else's attention was drawn to us. "Shut up, Brooke!"

She snickered, a devilish glint in her eyes. "Just admit it, Dodge~"

He looked like he wanted to strangle her this very moment. I couldn't really blame him. It was really irritating when your best friend's little sister was convinced you were gay together. I tried not to show my agitation, though, because that's what she fed off of.

"W-What?" Gio choked out, his eyes wide with horror.

Oh yeah, he had no idea about this.

"...Don't mind Brooke," I sighed. "She always does this. She's just messing around."

"I am not!" she exclaimed, stomping her foot. "You two totally want to-"

"BROOKE KAIGUN ARE YOU HARRASSING YOUR BROTHER?!"

Now we all froze.

Oh crap.

It was Dodge and Brooke's mom. Safaia Kaigun was not a woman you wanted to mess with. Supposedly, she was good friends with my dad before he... disappeared. She was, I'd admit, a little scary. She was tall for a woman, almost the same height as her husband, and he was nearly six foot. She had dark, dark blue hair cut boy-short, and eyes of the same color.

Brooke paled. "Uhhhh... N-No, Mom!"

"Yes, she is," Dodge deadpanned.

"S-Shut up!" she snapped, shooting him a glare.

Mrs. Kaigun did not seem convinced. She walked up to us, her arms crossed over her chest. Brooke looked a little scared now. I couldn't blame her.

"Uh, hi Mrs. Kaigun," I said awkwardly once she stopped in front of us.

"Hello Pyrite," she greeted me, still giving her daughter a steely look.

"Hi Mrs. Kaigun!" Carmine chirped from where she sat with everyone else. "It's nice to see you!"

Aurum, Mica, and Xenon greeted her as well, while Gio stayed silent. He didn't know her, after all. I wondered where Navy was. I think Brooke behaved around him, but I wasn't quite sure.

"Yeah, yeah," she sighed, glancing back at the door. "What's taking him so long?"

Moments later, the doors slid open, and in stepped Navy Kaigun, followed by Aryl and... Amber?! They both looked utterly exhausted from whatever they had been doing. Amber especially looked tired, like she was just about to collapse.

"Hoo boy," Aryl huffed, wiping her sweaty, sloppy bangs away from her face. "That was some intense sh*t."

What...?

Brooke gasped, her eyes widening. "Amber! You never told me you were gay too!"

...Of course she would think that.

Amber snapped out of her exhausted stupor. "WHAT?!" she shrieked.

Aryl blinked before keeling over with laughter. "BAHAHAHAHA! NICE ONE BROOKE! PFFFFT!"

"I'm going to kill you!" Amber screeched in rage at Dodge's little sister.

"Maybe I'll help you," Dodge muttered.

"No killing is allowed on my watch," Navy said, eying us all suspiciously.

Aryl let out one last snicker. "I was just helping Ambs train 'cause Copal-chan asked me to. Pffft! Even if I liked her like that, and we both swung that way, she's waaaay too young."

"That's good to know," Dodge deadpanned.

Mrs. Kaigun sighed heavily. "And this is why we don't visit you often."

"Well," Brooke huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "At least I know for sure that Dodge and Pyrite are totally fu-"

"BROOKE KAIGUN!" her mother snapped, cutting her off before Dodge or I could do anything. "For the LOVE of Arceus, if you finish that sentence, I'll-"

"You're so dead, Brooke," Dodge growled, finally standing up. "I'm going to kick your a** into the middle of next week!"

"YOU'LL HAVE TO CATCH ME FIRST!" she shouted at him before streaking away at the speed of light.

"Get back here!" he snapped before chasing after her, and neither of his parents were fast enough to snag him.

I sighed heavily. I wasn't sure if I was glad she was gone and being chased by her brother or not.

"...And she's _eleven_," Mica deadpanned.

"Well, you know kids these days," Aurum drawled, folding his arms back behind his head. "They grow up _waaaay_ too fast."

"...Aren't you one to talk?" I asked, looking over at them.

"Heeeey!" he snapped, glaring at me. "It's not my fault I accidentally found my dad's old porn when he was throwing it out!"

"Oh Arceus," Mica sighed, slapping his forehead. "Not this again."

Carmine flushed, Gio looked confused, the adults had "I want to murder Gold Kimu Junior" looks all over their faces, Aryl was snickering, and Amber looked like she wanted to hit something. I gave them dry looks.

"What's 'porn'?" Gio asked innocently, looking at us all with confusion.

This time I groaned. Seriously? Way to go, Aurum. This day couldn't get any worse.

"I am so done with all of you," Mrs. Kaigun sighed, turning around. "I need an aspirin. And some ice water. And silence."

"That can be arranged," Navy said before looking back over at the two girls. "You're all set, right?"

"Right," Amber growled, clenching her hand into a fist. "And I'm going to beat the _sh*t_ out of you Aurum once I get my hands on you."

He yelped, and actually looked scared.

"I just asked a question..." Gio whimpered. "Y-You don't have to get all mad..."

"I'm p*ssed because Aurum's a f*cking pervert and is trying to mess up your head!" she snapped, glaring further at her cousin.

"Leave Aurum alone!" Carmine snapped. "He didn't mean it like that!"

Oh, for the love of Arceus.

"Guys," I said, an edge to my tone. "Don't start. I don't want to hear it. If you're going to fight, take it somewhere else."

"I have nothing to pick with her," Amber retorted. "I just want Aurum to think before he speaks!"

"Oh, like you _totally_ do that!" Carmine snapped sarcastically.

"Oi, guys, I will go get Copal if you don't stop!" Aryl threatened, putting her hands on her hips. "You don't want me to do that, do you? She'll execute you!"

We didn't even know what that exactly meant.

Amber huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Whatever. I'm going upstairs to take a shower because it's f*cking _hot_ out there and I'm tired. Don't bother me."

"We're doing more training tomorrow, right?" Aryl asked her.

She nodded. "Yeah. Thanks again, Aryl."

Aryl just smirked and winked at her. "No prob, Ambs!"

What exactly was going on here...? I'd probably find out later...

...

_Wednesday, September 1, 5018._

_(Amber's POV)_

I continued to train with Aryl. It was hard as hell, but she taught me a lot. She was tough, and I mean f*cking _tough_. She taught me how to train with my pokemon, how to work with them so that we were even closer. And... it was really fun.

I hadn't had fun with my pokemon in a while, I realized. I was so bent on winning I forgot the true meaning of battling—having a good time and getting to know others. I was kind of ashamed to have let victory get so much to my head... Dodge was right. They were all right.

So I made a pledge to start having fun again!

Yeah, winning still meant a lot to me... But I had to relearn that it wasn't the end of the world if I didn't come out victorious. I needed to get that smacked back into me, and Aryl was the one to do it. I was grateful...

Anyways, today was a big day! I would be having a rematch with Rai, and Copal would be participating in her Contest later tonight. Most of our whole group had earned the Thunder Badge, though they all nearly lost just like Pyrite. I think Carmine still had to battle him, but she was training a lot to catch up with everyone else. But I believed we were ready. No, I _knew_ we were ready.

"Are you sure you don't wanna train some more?" Aryl asked me that morning. "I mean, it couldn't hurt. But if you just wanna get it over with, that's fine too! I can't wait to see you kick his a**." She smirked devilishly.

...She really hated Rai, didn't she?

"We're definitely ready!" I exclaimed. "I want to get this over with so we can move on. There's still five other Gyms to check out! And Hyacinth's next, right?"

"That's right," Coral said; she was with us. "Hyacinth specializes in grass-types. So you should be fine against her since you have a charmeleon and butterfree."

"Cinth's only a little stronger than the b**tard," Aryl added, crossing her arms over her chest. "Hey, where's Copal-chan?"

Coral frowned, looking over at her cousin. "I thought you knew. She usually tells you what she's up to."

"Uh..." Aryl sweatdropped. "I haven't seen her yet today..."

...Well this was awkward.

"Have you see her, Amber?" Coral asked me.

I shook my head. "Nope. I figured she'd be getting ready for the Contest though..."

"Copal-chan doesn't do that," Aryl said, a frown forming on her lips. "I swear to Arceus, if she's with _him_..."

"Well, there's only one way to find out," said Coral. "Why don't we go to the Gym? Amber has to battle Rai anyways."

Aryl's frown transformed into a scowl. "All right. Let's go."

"Wait!" I exclaimed. "What about the others?"

"They can catch up later," she stated. "I'm sensing trouble. Copal-chan doesn't go somewhere without telling us!"

"More accurately, _you_," Coral deadpanned.

Aryl gave her cousin a dry look. "She's my best friend. What do you expect?"

Coral sighed. "You know what I mean, Aryl. It's a bit more than that."

"...Can we talk about this later?" Aryl groaned.

...What was I missing here? What was going on? Did this have to do with the weird conversation I had with my sister a few days ago? Okay, I really did not want to deal with this. Drama and romance were just not my things.

"Hello, did you forget I'm here again?" I grumbled. "Can we just get this over with already?"

"...Right," Aryl agreed. "Let's go!"

I had a feeling that she was hiding something... But what?

...

It took us only a few minutes to reach the Gym. Aryl got more and more tense the closer we got, like she was winding herself up to attack. What was she expecting? Why was she so angry?

We stopped right outside the front doors, and I could hear voices inside—Copal, Rai, and a strange girl. Aryl suddenly went totally rigid, and a vicious scowl formed on her lips as she narrowed her eyes.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me," she deadpanned. "F*cking _Sally Johnson_."

Who was that...?

"Aryl," Coral said in a warning tone. "Don't do anything stupid."

She snorted. "What're you talking about? After what she did to Copal-chan all those years ago..."

"I know," her cousin said, her tone much gentler. "I was there too, you know. I could never forget."

"What happened?" I demanded.

They both looked down at me, obviously hesitating. They didn't want to tell me, huh?

"...It's a long story," Coral sighed. "Let's just go inside and see what's going on."

Aryl had no problem with pushing open the doors of the Gym, leading the way inside. I saw my sister, her boyfriend, and another girl. I immediately did not like that other girl; there was just something about her that bothered me. I couldn't place it. She wasn't too impressive, not too noticeable. She looked plain next to my sister.

"Look, Sally," Copal was saying, a slight nervous edge to her voice. "I really need to talk to Rai, so..."

"I want to see a Gym match," the other girl, Sally, stated harshly. "I'm not going anywhere. Rai is an old friend of my family, so whatever you have to say you can say in front of me."

Copal looked like she wanted to crawl into a hole and hide; I had never seen her like this. "B-But it's personal..."

Nor had I seen give in to anyone's will.

Rai opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted.

"You!" Aryl snapped, her voice like ice. "What are you doing here?!"

Sally turned, noticing us. I felt a little awkward standing here and not having any idea about what was going on.

"Oh, _of course_," the girl sneered. "Wherever Copal Rosso-Senri must go, Arylide Kuro must follow. How disgusting."

...I didn't get it...

"Shut the hell up," Aryl retorted, looking really p*ssed off. "No one gives a sh*t about what you think, Johnson."

Sally Johnson rolled her eyes. "Well, I'm sure Rai would _love_ to know that his girlfriend messes around... with her _best friend_!"

Wait, what?!

"What?" Rai asked, a strange, confused expression forming on his face. "What are you talking about, Sally?"

Copal looked like she was about to freak out.

And Aryl absolutely _exploded_.

"F*cking bullsh*t!" she snapped, her hands clenching into fists. "You can say all the sh*t you want about me, but don't you _dare_ spew lies about Copal! You've f*cked her life up enough already! What the _hell_ do you want?! I swear, if you hurt her again, I will f*ck you up so badly not even _plastic surgery_ will be able to fix you! We're all done with your sh*t, Johnson!"

"A-Aryl," Copal breathed, her blue eyes wide with shock. "D-Don't-"

"No," she spat. "I'm not going to stand back and f*cking watch you get hurt. Not again. Not now."

"What, in the name of _Arceus_, is going on?!" I demanded.

"I was about to ask the same thing," Rai said, still confused.

"Why does this always happen?" Coral sighed.

Sally snorted, flipping her hair behind her back. "I'm not scared of you, Kuro."

"You should be," she growled.

"Aryl! Sally! Just stop, please!" Copal cried, clapping her hands down on the sides of her face. "Stop! I can't take this anymore!"

What-

"I-I'm sorry, Rai, but this just won't work out," she choked, squeezing her eyes shut.

"W-What?" he gasped, his eyes widening.

"I can't be with you anymore! I can't do this, I'm sorry! I just... I-I just..."

Copal looked like she was about to burst out crying. Was that what she was trying to do? Break up with Rai? And now with this b*tch here she was just losing it and making it worse than she originally intended? Did I need to f*ck someone up?

"I'm sorry," she blurted again, before rushing out of the Gym, pushing by Aryl, Coral, and me to get out.

The doors clicked shut with finality.

"What... just... happened?" Rai breathed, his eyes wide with shock.

Sally snorted again. "She just broke up with you. Why am I so _not_ surprised?

Rai paled. "B-But I... really liked her... What did I do wrong?!"

I just wanted to bang my head up against the nearest wall.

"I swear to Arceus, Johnson," Aryl growled. "You are so dead."

"Aryl!" Coral snapped. "Now isn't the time! We need to go help Copal!"

"You are so dead _later_," she clarified with a fierce glare. "Let's go."

Without another word, the two girls turned around and left the Gym, leaving me behind to deal with this rather awkward situation. I just stood there, trying to figure out what to do. I was here to battle Rai, but now he might not want to battle... Especially since I was his now ex-girlfriend's sister.

Sally snorted. "They're disgusting lesbos."

Okay. That. Was. F*cking. _It_.

"Excuse me?!" I shrieked with rage. "That's my _sister_ you're talking about, b*tch!"

She looked down at me with mild interest. "In that case, you must be one too."

"Sally!" Rai gasped, though he was still in shock from just being dumped.

Before I could really snap, the Gym doors opened and the rest of my friends came walking in, completely oblivious to the situation.

"Hey, we're—what's going on?" I heard Dodge say behind me.

"I'm about to beat a b*tch," I growled, my hands clenching into fists.

"Are you crazy?!" Carmine demanded. "Oh, wait, you _are_. Never mind."

I whipped around to face them. "_You_ stay out of this, Carmine!" I snapped. "I'm not gonna let some b*tch I don't even know talk sh*t about my sister!"

"Whoa, calm down, Amber," Pyrite told me, a serious expression on his face. "What happened?"

"Humph," Sally snorted. "Never mind, Rai. I'll come to watch you battle another time. Preferably without anyone from where I live. See you later."

Without another word, she walked away, making my friends move aside for her. They still had no idea what had happened or what was going on. I was seething inside, trying my best not to flip out like I usually would.

"...What was her problem?" Xenon asked, confused.

"She seemed incredibly rude," Gio said softly.

I just came here for my d*mn rematch. But something always had to happen.

I sighed, turning around to face a still shocked Rai. "If you want, we can do this another day."

"It's... fine," he said, turning to the side slightly. "I can't let my personal life get in the way of my duty as a Gym leader... So, let's get this rematch going!"

...

Since Rai insisted, the rematch was still on. I was starting to get nervous. I mean, Rai had defeated me so easily last time. Even with all the training with Aryl, it was still up to me to win. Did I have what it took?

I felt... like this was a turning point.

"All right!" Rai exclaimed. "Let's get the show on the road! Jolteon, you're up!"

Just like last time, he released his jolteon first. The eeveelution let out a growl, charging its whole body with electricity. I took a deep breath to calm myself. As long as I believed in my pokemon, that we could win this, it was possible.

I took a poke ball off the belt that Aryl had given me. "Okay! Let's go, Diana!"

The butterfree materialized before me. Rai and his jolteon both looked surprised that I chose the same pokemon as before the second time around. Well, that was kind of the point. I was trying to go about this a different way than I usually did.

"You can start, just like last time," the Gym leader told me.

I nodded. "Okay. Diana, use Substitute!"

Now they looked surprised for a different reason. Diana's eyes glowed as a faint, wispy, ghost-like form of herself pulled away from her body. Diana could control this second form, and the form would take whatever attack was sent her way so she wouldn't get hurt. The only catch is that she had to use her own energy to create the substitute.

"We won't let this get us down!" Rai exclaimed. "Jolteon! Use Thunderbolt!"

Sh*t, the decoy could only take so much damage before disappearing! We had to make our move fast!

The jolteon growled, its whole body sparking as it gathered the electricity necessary for the attack. A wicked lightning bolt shot towards us, hitting the decoy. Thank Arceus, it didn't dissolve yet! We could still do this!

"Diana! Silver Wind!" I commanded.

The butterfree flew higher so that she was farther above both her double and the opponent. Letting out a battle cry, she began to whip her wings violently, sending, well, silver wind blasting towards the jolteon. It grimaced as it took the attack, sliding back a couple of inches.

"Impressive!" Rai shouted with a grin. "But not enough! Jolteon, use Discharge!"

The decoy took all the next attack as tiny little bolts of electricity shot erratically from the eeveelution. Then, to much of my horror, it vanished. Sh*t, we had to finish this up real quick!

"Now use Psybeam!" I ordered.

Diana's eyes glowed again, and this time a pink beam of psychic energy shot from them. The jolteon was hit, and slid back another inch. But he was still hanging on. D*mmit! When would Diana be strong enough?!

"Jolteon, let's finish this!" Rai exclaimed. "Thunder Fang!"

Voltage exploded around the jolteon's mouth. The eeveelution flash-stepped up into the air, leaping towards my butterfree. Diana cried out, pushing herself back in the air, trying to avoid the attack. But Jolteon was much faster. It pushed itself after the butterfree, sinking its electrified fangs into her body. This time she cried out in pain.

Maybe it really was a bad idea to put Diana on my main team...

No! I couldn't think like that! I had to have confidence in my pokemon!

"Diana!" I exclaimed. "Are you okay?"

The butterfree fluttered back closer to me weakly as the jolteon landed back on the ground. She was grimacing, one of her eyes squeezed shut as she tied to stay aloft. But she was hanging on somehow!

_"I've... been... better,"_ she got out.

We still had a chance! I pointed to the surprised jolteon.

"Diana, use Silver Wind one more time!" I commanded.

I watched as the butterfree steeled herself, straightening out her face, and then began flapping her wings furiously. The silvery wind whipped towards the jolteon, this time with such a gusto it was sent flying. It hit the ground, flipped onto its side, and then slid all the way to Rai's feet. Jolteon did not get back up.

"I... can't believe it," Rai breathed, his blue eyes wide with shock.

I stared at Diana in awe as a wide grin plastered across my face. "Yes! You did it, Diana!"

She turned around to face me, her wings slowing down seeing as she was exhausted. _"I will always try my hardest for you, Trainer..."_

I was so happy I could feel my eyes tearing up. I took her poke ball back off my belt, and returned her.

Looking inside the red lid, I said, "Thank you for such awesome work, Diana. You deserve a nice, long rest."

When I looked back up, I saw that Rai had also returned his own pokemon, and had taken another poke ball off his belt.

"This is nowhere near over yet," he said, raising the device in his hand. "You're up, Ampharos!"

The ampharos appeared before her trainer. I took another breath to help keep myself calm, and removed Ceres's poke ball from my belt. I knew she would give me hell if I didn't let her battle the ampharos again in the rematch.

"Let's show 'em how we really fight, Ceres!" I exclaimed, releasing the breloom.

_"Oooooh hell yeah!"_ she crowed, pumping her fist into the air. _"I've been waiting for this!"_

I wasn't the only one who laughed; Rai did, too.

"I've never seen such an enthusiastic pokemon before," he said, smiling cutely. "It makes me happy to know that there are pokemon out there who enjoy battling as much as I do!"

Ampharos snorted. _"I would rather sleep."_

_"You're going down,"_ Ceres taunted.

Ampharos rolled her eyes. _"We'll see, amateur."_

"Ceres!" I shouted. "Force Palm, now!"

A wicked grin streaked across the breloom's lips as she lunged towards the ampharos with nearly unfathomable speed. She stopped right in front of the startled opponent, placing her palm on the ampharos's chest. Her grin transformed into a smirk as light exploded from underneath her hand, and the light pokemon was thrown back. She hit the ground and slid a couple of feet.

Rai pursed his lips. "Hang in there, Ampharos!" It began to push itself back up. "Use Thunder Punch!"

The ampharos growled as electricity exploded all up her arm. Ceres tensed, bracing herself for the incoming attack. She lunged forward with a battle cry, slamming her charged fist right into the breloom's chest. Ceres was thrown back as well, but she managed to land on her feet, sliding backwards.

_"You gotta do better than that,"_ Ceres taunted with a devious smirk.

The ampharos just growled, glaring fiercely.

"Sky Uppercut!" I commanded.

The breloom leaped towards the ampharos, punching her right under her chin, sending her flying right up into the air, going up with her. She wailed in pain, sailing backwards as Ceres dropped back onto the ground. The thud was loud when the ampharos ate the dirt. She didn't get back up either.

_"Oh yeah!"_ Ceres exclaimed in triumph. _"Who's the pokemon?! Ceres is!"_

I laughed as Rai returned Ampharos to her poke ball. I was... having fun! And that in itself made me so happy. That was the point of battles—to have fun! And I had forgotten that...

"You've gotten really good in such a short time," Rai said in amazement, taking out another poke ball. "That's great! You should be proud of yourself, Amber!"

I felt my face flush, and I laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of my head. "Ahahaha... It's nothing, really... I, um, had help too..."

I was starting to see why Rai Surge had fangirls... He really was a nice guy. A hot nice guy too.

...Okay, I needed to focus! I couldn't afford to get distracted now! Because guess who was next?

"Hey, it's totally okay to get help with training!" he told me. "I wouldn't have gotten this good, or even to this level, if I hadn't had a mentor! Anyways, back to the battle. Electivire!"

The one pokemon I was dreading the post materialized before us. I quietly returned Ceres to her poke ball, taking yet another breath to keep myself calm. I pulled off my next pokemon's poke ball.

"Jupiter!" I exclaimed, sending out the golden charmeleon. "Let's do this!"

He appeared before me, already tensed for battle. I knew he was eager for the rematch. Jupiter absolutely _hated_ being defeated. I guess we were alike in that way. He would not give up until he won. He was that determined.

"Okay," I said, since I went first. "Jupiter, use Swords Dance!"

The shiny charmeleon lifted his arms, and slashed them everywhere, like he was using a sword. I could feel a sharp rise in his attack power thanks to my Viridian powers. It was time to get serious.

"Two can play at that game," Rai said. "Electivire, use Screech!"

I didn't even have to tell Jupiter what to do. He clamped his claws down over his ears, blocking the earsplitting screech that came from the electivire's mouth. It was so loud my ears ached after it was over.

"Now, Flame Charge!" I commanded.

This was to increase our speed. Flames exploded around Jupiter's body.

"Quick! Thunder Punch!" Rai ordered.

D*mmit, it knew that move too?!

The Thunder Punch that formed on the electivire's arm made his ampharos's look like child's play. I could only pray to Arceus that my pokemon would be okay as Jupiter lunged towards the enemy, surrounded by flames. I could feel his speed increasing, and then the two pokemon made contact. And then everything exploded.

My charmeleon was thrown back, flying through the air. I gasped, leaping forward in hopes to catch him before he hit the ground. I managed to snag him, but he was nearly as big as me and I fell down onto my a**.

"Jupiter!" I breathed, pushing him away slightly so I could look at him better. "Are you okay?"

Her grimaced, his lips pulling back to bare his fangs. _"I'm fine. I can keep going."_

"...Okay," I said; he was straight forward as always. "Let's get this badge in the bag, then!"

He nodded, and then crawled out of my lap. I pushed myself back up onto my feet as he walked back out onto the battlefield. I brushed dust off my shorts, and pulled down my cropped shirt slightly. The dust cleared, revealing that the electivire was fine as well. D*mmit.

"This is really fun!" Rai exclaimed with a grin. "I haven't been actually challenged in a battle for a long time!"

But didn't Pyrite battle him and win...? Was their battle a lot different from ours, then? I was curious now...

But I couldn't help but grin. "I'm glad! Okay, Jupiter, Fire Fang!"

Thanks to his boosted speed, he reached the electivire faster than ever before. Flames exploded around his sharp fangs, and he leaped up at the pokemon. He sunk his teeth into the electivire's arm, causing it to howl in pain.

"Electivire! Thunder!" Rai ordered.

Jupiter leaped away from the electivire as dark stormclouds began to form overhead. Lightning crackled in the clouds, and the electivire pointed to the charmeleon. A wicked electric bolt shot down from the clouds, hitting Jupiter right on. But he made no sound, and was still standing when it was over. Suddenly, the flame on his tail exploded, lighting up the whole Gym. I gasped.

That was... Blaze! I could feel the power coursing through him because of his weakness. This was our chance!

"Now, Jupiter! Flamethrower!" I commanded, pointing to our opponent.

With the flame on his tail surging powerfully, Jupiter let out a deep growl, baring his fangs as fire began to gather inside his jaws. A giant explosion of blazing red fire shot from his mouth, more than any normal Flamethrower, his tail's flame pulsing violently. The flames shot across the Gym, slamming into the electivire, covering its whole body. The attack seemed to last for forever until the fire relented.

The electivire looked burnt to a crisp as it dropped down to the ground. Rai just stared, his eyes wide with shock. Even I was surprised. Jupiter... had the most powerful Blaze I had ever seen. That was more powerful than Uncle Gold's Exploso's, or Plato's Charro's. I had never seen anything like that before in my life.

"Jupiter," I breathed.

"That was... amazing," Rai got out slowly.

Jupiter just shrugged.

Rai returned his electivire to its poke ball as I took out Jupiter's. I returned him, and then looked at him through the red lid. He looked tired, but pleased. I smiled to myself. That charmeleon was sure something else. I was so glad I chose him as my starter.

"Well, it looks like I'm down to my last pokemon," Rai said, taking his final poke ball off his belt. "This has been so fun, I don't want it to end!" He laughed. "Okay, c'mon out, Raichu!"

It was time.

The electric rodent appeared before me. It grinned viciously, crackling electricity from its yellow cheek pouches. I took another deep breath. We could do this. We could totally do this. It was almost over. I almost had the Thunder Badge.

"Juno!" I exclaimed, releasing the pikachu.

_"Let's do it!"_ she cried, appearing before me, her own red cheek pouches crackling with voltage.

I grinned. "Totally! You know the drill. Dig!"

Both Rai and his raichu looked shocked. I just grinned wider as Juno leaped up into the air, angling her body down towards the ground. She shot into the dirt, burrowing underground. We so had this!

Rai snapped out of his shock, and grinned at me once again. "You're really good. You're battling wisely! That makes me so happy!"

I couldn't help but blush again. Arceus, all these compliments... Were they really true?

Juno exploded out in front of the raichu, tackling its stomach, knocking it down onto its back. She jumped back closer to me, and much to our shock, Raichu got back up moments later.

"You may be good and battling wisely," said Rai, sounding very serious, "but it takes a lot more than type advantages to take us down. Raichu! Volt Tackle!"

...Sh*t.

"Quick!" I cried. "Juno, Volt Tackle, too!"

Electricity exploded around both pokemon, and they leaped into the air. Juno looked so tiny compared to the raichu, and I began to fear this was going to end up just like last time. But I still had conscious pokemon, so I would still win. But I wanted Juno, my partner, my pikachu, to do this.

They blasted across the arena, and collided head on. Yet another explosion happened. Smoke whipped at me, nearly pushing be back. This was the strongest one yet, just like last time. I couldn't help but hold my breath, praying to Arceus that Juno survived.

The smoke cleared, revealing both pokemon standing. They were barely hanging on, shaking violently. Juno was struggling, but then, all of a sudden, the raichu lost its battle and collapsed, knocked out. We all just stared.

Juno... knocked out... the raichu.

We... We...

We won the Thunder Badge!

We did it!

"Juno!" I cried, running up to her.

I scooped her up into my arms, hugging her tightly to my chest, laughing with joy, spinning around once.

"We did it!" I exclaimed.

The pikachu looked up at me, battered and exhausted, and she smiled. "Of course..." she said weakly. "We're... a team..."

Yeah... Today, we really did finally work as a team. And it made me feel so happy. There was no way I could quit now! I couldn't let everyone down! And battling was fun again! There was so much to do still... and so little time!

"Congrats!" Rai exclaimed, and I noticed he had returned his raichu. "Well done, Amber! You definitely deserve the Thunder Badge."

I beamed up at him. "Thank you, Rai!"

Today was going to be an awesome day.

...

_(Copal's POV)_

Today was just not my day.

After my conversation with Amber, I ended up thinking a lot. She did have a point... It wasn't fair to me nor Rai to stay with him, _especially_ if I felt pressured to... Don't get me wrong, I liked Rai, but not like _that_. He was a good friend... That was the only thing I felt for him.

But still, it had killed me to do that to him, to break up with him. I didn't want to hurt him, but it was too late. And Sally's presence there just made it even worse... I was surprised she even personally knew Rai. I just... felt awful.

Aryl and Coral had followed me, and tried talking to me, but nothing helped. In fact, I just ended up feeling worse and weirder and I was just so jumbled up and confused. Instead of helping me like usual, Aryl's presence just made me feel worse.

I had no idea what I was doing anymore, what I was feeling. I was just so... confused.

I just wanted my life to be... normal for once.

But right now I was in my dressing room, preparing for the Contest. I had already changed into my dress, and I was doing last minute touches to my hair. For the Contest, I was going to use Airi, my dragonair.

"Hey, Copal-chan."

I flinched in surprise, and then relaxed when I looked in the mirror and saw that it was only Aryl. She was the last person I wanted to see, which was the total opposite of how I normally felt. She had somehow opened the door without me noticing and was leaning up against the door frame.

I didn't respond. I just continued to do my make-up.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked me.

I sighed, finishing putting on blue eyeliner. "I'm fine, Aryl..."

"I don't believe you."

"Well, I'm perfectly fine," I replied hotly, though that was far from the truth, as I put away my eyeliner and took out red lipstick. "You don't have to worry about me. I can take care of myself."

"This has nothing to do with that!" she exclaimed. "You're my friend, Copal-chan. I'm going to worry about you whether you like it or not."

I stayed silent, applying the lipstick to my lips. I was starting to lose my composure. I put the item away when I was done.

"...Did he hurt you?" she growled, stepping inside the dressing room. "Because if he did... I'll kick his a**."

"A-Aryl!" I cried, whipping around in my seat to face her. "No! It's nothing like that!"

"Then why did you break up with him?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

I squeezed my eyes shut. "Aryl... I just... I can't tell you..."

"Copal..."

It was weird hearing her say my name without adding the honorific. Aryl _always_ called me "Copal-chan". If she didn't, there was something most definitely wrong. Great. Now I was possibly hurting my best friend... I just kept on messing everything up.

"Please," I said, finally opening my eyes and looking up at her. "Just... trust me."

"Maybe I can help," she offered like always, taking another step closer to me.

"N-No!" I exclaimed, feeling my face heat up. "Please... just... I need some space..."

She looked down at me, an emotion I couldn't recognize flickering through her eyes before vanishing. She sighed, turning to go.

"...Fine," she muttered. "See you later, then."

Without another word, she turned around, and walked out of the room. The door shut harder than I thought was necessary, making me jump a little. I sat there in silence for a moment, a strange... ache, if you will. I sighed heavily.

As much as this all pained me, I needed to focus on the Contest. I didn't _need_ to win this, but I would break my winning streak if I lost...

...

I could do this.

I could totally focus.

"What's wrong, Copal?"

I looked over at my friend Robin, who was gazing upon me with concern. She had no idea I broke up with Rai; it was her idea that I got a boyfriend in the first place. I didn't want to disappoint her...

I was actually more disappointed in myself than anything else...

I sighed. "I... don't want to talk about it right now."

She frowned. "Okay then... But cheer up! This Contest is going be fun!"

I tried to crack a smile, but I'm sure it came out forced. "Yeah... I'll do my best, as always!"

Robin beamed at me. "That's the spirit!"

I had met Robin when I first started participating in Contests. Aunt Scarlet had introduced me to her; she was her older brother's daughter. I had been super timid back then, so it was hard for me to make new friends. But since we were related somehow, it was a little different, and she was very nice. And Aryl didn't scare her away like usual. So Robin taught me about Contest, and we became good friends in the process.

But I couldn't trust anyone with my feelings right now...

"All right, it's time!" Robin exclaimed. "Let's go and show them how amazing our pokemon are!"

I nodded, and looked down at my blue dress. I flattened out the skirt, wondering if I looked okay. Well, I wasn't being the one showed off. My pokemon were. But I still wanted to look my best as well. I looked at Airi through her great ball, and she smiled up at me. She was ready for this!

"Yeah," I agreed, looking back at my friend. "Let's have fun!"

The first round was based on appearances. You had to dress up your pokemon and impress the judges. By now, having participated in Contests for nearly six years now, I was an expert when it came to dress-up. I knew exactly what to do.

Robin and I stepped out onto the stage with the other contestants. I could see the judges, and of course the announcer. The seats were packed. I couldn't help but looked for my friends and family in the humongous crowd. I managed to spot them, but I ended up making myself more nervous... because of Aryl.

Arceus, I didn't understand why she was making me feel so weird all of a sudden.

Okay, I had to focus.

"Welcome to today's Beauty Ultra Rank Super Contest!" the MC declared. "We have quite the arrangement of contestants today! Let's get right to it and introduce them!"

Seeing as Robin and I were further down the line, we were one of the last to be introduced. I was the last, actually.

"And last but not least, we have the one you've all been waiting for! Give a hand for Copal Rosso-Senri!"

The crowd absolutely _erupted_ into applause. It was so loud it was like a roar. I stepped forward like always and waved to them before curtseying politely, which made them roar even louder.

Sometimes I forgot how famous I was...

Robin smiled at me, while the other contestants looked a little irritated. I couldn't really blame them either. Just my presence in this Contest meant I pretty much had won already. Sometimes I felt bad about it... Other trainers deserved to win, too, not just me.

Well, there was nothing I could do about it. Other than stop participating in Contests forever. And that was something I could not do.

"Now, for the Appeal Round!" the MC exclaimed. "Let's see who our contestants have to show off!"

Each of us would have our own turn to show off our pokemon. We would go according to our spot in line. I watched all the other trainers and their pokemon with interest, wondering what my opposition was like, if they were really good or not.

Finally, it was Robin's turn.

"Wish me luck," she said as she stepped back out.

I watched her on the television in the waiting room, wondering who she would be using today. She ended up sending out her dewgong. Robin wasn't one to name her pokemon, which was common for a lot of new trainers after the War who had no direct contact with older trainers. Dewgong appeared, a bubble seal exploding around her. I was impressed by the props that Robin used on her; they really brought out her beauty.

Finally, it was my turn.

My name was announced, so I went out on stage, passing my friend on the way. She flashed me an encouraging smile, and that did make me feel better. This was a Contest, what I knew and loved! There was no reason to be nervous! I was going to have fun!

"All right," I said, raising my great ball. "Airi! Spotlight!"

The dragonair materialized right above me, her sapphire blue and white scales glistening with the glitter I applied to her. She let out a clarion call, rising up into the air majestically, showing off every single prop I had put on her. She looked perfect to me. I couldn't have done any better!

The crowd went wild. I smiled to myself, and looked over to see what the judges had to say. Each of them gave me a perfect score. Of course. I wondered sometimes if they did that just because of who I was...

But I would always keep doing my best.

...

"COPAL!"

I turned around to see all my friends and family running up to me. The new ribbon was still cool to the touch, smooth in my fingers. Airi cooed from behind me, shifting as they all halted in front of me.

"You were amazing, Copal!" Carmine exclaimed, her red eyes wide with awe.

I laughed. "I guess so."

"You _guess_ so?!" Amber demanded, crossing her arms over her chest. "Don't be so modest!"

I couldn't help but laugh a little again. "Thanks, guys."

"Copal-chan," Aryl said, and I forced myself to look at her; she seemed to be in a better mood now. "You... look really beautiful."

I felt my cheeks burn, and I couldn't look at her anymore, much less meet her eyes. "T-Thanks..."

Ugh, what was wrong with me? Aryl was my best friend... I shouldn't have been reacting this way. Unless... U-Unless...

No! I couldn't think about that right now!

I had just won another Contest. Airi had been amazing, and I had so much fun with Robin and the others. Soon we would be on the cruise with our parents and other friends!

Though... how could I enjoy it... when I had this pit gnawing in my stomach?

* * *

><p><strong>Aha<strong>

**AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA**

**Well this was eventful**

**Copal is still the best sister ever**

**Aryl is still the most badass older girl ever**

**Amber got some training and kicked Rai's butt in the rematch**

**Copal's trying to lock herself in the closet and it just ain't working **

**Sorry about the lack of a Contest, you'll see some more Contest action in the near future!**

**THE CRUISE ARC STARTS NEXT CHAP**

**DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS?! **

**INSANITY AND SHIPPING WILL ENSUE**

**REVIEW**


	17. 15: Skitty Helps Save the Day

**EVERMORE**

**~Sequel Of The Forever Trilogy~**

**Chapter 15**

**Skitty Helps Save the Day**

_Monday, September 6, 5018._

_(Amber's POV)_

Today was the first day of the cruise. It was still pretty warm out for early September, and the sun was shining high in the sky. According to Navy, the ship we would be sailing on belonged to him. I wasn't too surprised that he owned a cruise ship.

I was thrilled when Cory and Quartz arrived. They came the day before we had to leave, and would be taking the cruise too, courtesy of Cory's and my parents, and Quartz's dad. We were getting ready to board the ship.

"This is so exciting!" Carmine gushed; she had attached herself to Quartz and me. "I've always wanted to go on a cruise!"

I forced myself to hold back the snarky comment that was just _begging_ to come out.

Quartz smiled softly. "I hope we have fun..."

"Of course we will!" Carmine declared with a nod. "We're going to be with everyone! _Plus_ our parents!"

I wasn't exactly sure if that was what I wanted, but there was nothing I could do about it. Don't get me wrong, I loved my parents, but having them around restricted my freedom.

"I wonder when Galena and Carnelian will get here," Quartz mused, looking around as we walked along. "And where are the boys, by the way?"

"Probably messing around," I scoffed, speaking up for the first time.

Carmine glared at me, but obviously bit back a retort. Smart b*tch. Quartz opened her mouth to reply to my statement, but was interrupted.

"HEY GUYS!"

Out of nowhere, Galena appeared, glomping Quartz in a hug, who yelped in surprise. Carmine laughed, and I just stood there quietly. She was followed close behind by her brother and another girl I had never seen before.

"HI!" Bronze blurted, his eyes bright with excitement.

"D-Don't do that," Quartz stammered. "Y-You scared me, Galena..."

"Oh, I'm sorry!" the redhead exclaimed, backing away from the smaller girl. "I forgot you scare easy... This is my friend Lyric, by the way!"

The other girl, who had to be Lyric, was about the same height and age as Galena. She had light brown hair pulled back into a short, choppy side ponytail, and brown eyes. She looked kind of rough, like the kind of girl you didn't want to mess with. But her name didn't fit that image.

"Hey," she greeted us with a nod. "I'm Lyric Conrad. Lena invited me and my family to this cruise."

"Hi Lyric," Quartz said shyly. "I'm Quartz Kuro. It's nice to meet you."

"I'm Carmine Kazuo!" my cousin chirped brightly.

"Amber Rosso-Senri," I sighed.

"Oh! Oh! Where is everybody?!" Bronze demanded in his excitement.

"We're waiting for the guys still," Carmine explained. "And Carne and Denver still have to get here."

Just then, the ship lowered the landing deck down onto the dock. We all were a bit shocked because it was so sudden. We all looked up to see if there was anyone coming down.

"SNOW!" Carmine gasped, her red eyes lighting up with glee.

Yep, it was Snow Vin all right, walking down towards us. You could notice her a mile away. She was the oldest child of Alan and Kate Vin, and was fourteen years old. She had long, slightly wild pale, snow blue hair, and dark blue eyes. She stopped when she heard her name, looking towards us.

"Carmine!" she exclaimed, grinning.

Just then, her parents stepped out, followed by none other than my aunt and uncle, the parents of Carmine.

"Daddy! Mommy!" Carmine exclaimed with delight. "Uncle Alan! Aunt Kate!"

I swore to every single f*cking legendary, if she yelled one more time-

"Everyone!" Uncle Shirou laughed, jolly as always.

Carmine bounded up to Snow, and gave her a huge hug before proceeding to greet her parents and her family's friends.

Shirou Kazuo was the husband of my aunt Cerise on my mom's side. He had once been the Champion of Unova, way back during the War, and that was supposedly how he met my aunt. He was tall, standing over six feet, and had short, yet messy black hair and pale blue eyes. He was really nice.

Cerise Kazuo, my mom's little sister, was very pretty. She had wildly curly strawberry blonde hair that went down to her shoulders, and brilliant scarlet eyes. Freckles were sprinkled across her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. She was much taller than my mom, being around my older sister's height. And she... she looked...

"Are you _pregnant_?!" I blurted.

Aunt Cerise started a little, and then blushed. "Oh, well, um, yes! I'm four months in!"

...Arceus kill me now. They were still-

"C-Congratulations!" Quartz blurted, interrupting my dark thoughts.

Uncle Shirou laughed. "Thanks!"

I wanted to smash my head against a wall repeatedly. My family was insane!

Alan Vin was supposedly related to both the Kimus and the Kaiguns somehow, very distantly. He was slightly shorter than his best friend, and had short snow blue hair that was made sloppy by the trademark Kimu bangs, and blue eyes. He was the current Unova Champion. He was pretty cheerful, but got irritated easily.

Katherine Vin, or Kate as we knew her, was a member of the Unova Elite Four. She was psychic, and specialized in pokemon of the same type. She had long, light brown hair, and calm blue eyes. She was a bit reserved, but very kind.

"Well, why don't you kids come on up?" Alan called down to us. "We almost have everyone on board anyways."

Holy sh*t. My parents were on board already?

"We should wait for Ry and the others first!" Carmine exclaimed, taking a step down the ramp.

Ugh, why did her f*cking obsession with Pyrite bother me so d*mn much?!

"You don't have to wait with us," I retorted. "Don't you want to catch up with Snow, anyways?"

Carmine narrowed her eyes at me. "Are you trying to get _rid_ of me? At least try not to be so obvious."

I gritted my teeth, and clenched my hands into fists. "I don't wanna be sneaky."

"You're too blunt," she snapped, glaring at me. "You have no tact!"

"G-Guys," Quartz stammered. "P-Please don't fight..."

"Yeah!" Galena exclaimed, putting her hands on her hips. "We all know why Ambs is so touchy!"

"W-We do?" Quartz asked in confusion.

"Yup!" Galena grinned mischievously, raising a finger. "Because Ambs has a big giant crush on Ry~"

...Sh*t.

"WHAT?!" I shrieked, my voice cracking up an octave.

Galena smirked devilishly. "You know you want him~"

"I-I DO NOT!" I screeched, my face burning. "S-Shut up!"

Quartz shrunk back, and Lyric looked confused as hell. Bronze had a blank, clueless look on his face. Carmine looked like she was getting p*ssed as well. The adults were just standing there looking like they didn't want to witness the catfight that was about to ensue.

"Then why are you blushing~" Galena sang. "Just admit it and you'll make our whole lives easier~"

"I-I don't like Pyrite!" I stammered, trying not to freak out. "Knock it off!"

"No!" she exclaimed defiantly, crossing her arms over her chest. "You totally have the hots for him!"

"Well, you can't have him!" Carmine snapped, glaring at me rather fiercely. "He's mine!"

I was pretty sure my eye just twitched. "You can't f*cking put claims on a human being! He's not your f*cking property!" I snapped, practically on the edge of exploding with rage.

"Whoa whoa whoa, girls," I heard Uncle Shirou say. "That's enough. Break it up."

I expected Carmine to be a good girl and obey her daddy. Nope. Instead, she _slapped_ me right across my face. That was it. That was f*cking it. I was so done with her sh*t. So f*cking done.

"Sorry we're-"

I punched her right in her f*cking nose, which crunched under my fist, and she went down like a rock, shrieking. I would I have went after her if someone hadn't grabbed me from behind.

"Let me go!" I snapped, pulling against their grip. "I'm not done yet!"

"Amber! Calm down!"

I froze.

Sh*t, it was Pyrite that had stopped me.

F*ck my luck.

"You little b*tch!" I heard Carmine shriek, her voice thick. "You broke my nose!"

Sh*t sh*t sh*t. My whole body slumped as I realized how screwed I was. Pyrite almost dropped me.

"D*mmit," I groaned.

"Oh my Arceus, are you okay?!" I heard Aurum exclaim in alarm.

Why... did this always happen? Why did I always let my temper get the best of me? I kept digging myself a deeper hole.

"Amber!" I heard my brother exclaim in shock. "What did you _do_?!"

Of course, even my twin brother would jump to conclusions and blame me for everything. I was the troublemaker in our family. It was always solely my fault. I _never_ did anything right.

"AMBER ROSSO-SENRI!"

...Yep, I was screwed. Mom was here.

...

"What. Were. You. _Thinking_?"

I was sitting in a room on the ship, with only my parents. We were around a table, and both Mom and Dad looked pretty p*ssed with me. I couldn't really blame them. I was such an idiot. I just kept on messing up repeatedly...

"I don't know," I grumbled; I couldn't look at their faces, I was so ashamed.

"Of course you don't," Mom retorted, her voice like ice. "You never do."

I almost slammed my head onto the table. Instead, I sank deeper into my seat, folding my arms on the table. Maybe those ghosts in the Pokémon Tower were right after all... Compared to Copal and Cory I was a total disgraceful mess.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled.

"Don't apologize to us," she stated. "We weren't the ones you assaulted."

"What happened, Amber?" Dad asked me, his tone a lot gentler than my mom's.

I stared down at my folded arms. "I can't tell you..."

It was more like I _didn't want_ to tell them. I didn't want them to know about the stupid drama that was going on. I didn't want them worrying about me; they had enough on their plates already... I didn't want them to have something else to be disappointed about me with. I would still be in fault no matter what.

"Why not?" Mom asked.

I still couldn't bring myself to look at them... "I... I don't want to talk about it."

She sighed heavily, and I sneaked a peek to see her pinching the bridge of her nose. "Fine. As for your punishment..."

"...Don't make it too harsh, love," Dad said, sounding serious.

"...Rubin," she said, her voice regaining that icy tone. "Our _daughter_ punched her _cousin_ in the face and _broke her nose_. I believe that warrants for a harsh punishment. Carmine could have had her face marred for life. She's lucky that both her mother and I are here."

"I know that," he said steadily. "Just don't go overboard, love."

I forced myself to sit up straight and look at both of my parents. I could take this maturely. Totally.

...Who was I kidding? I could never take anything maturely...

I kept on falling back down... How much longer could I take getting back up?

...

"Amber!"

I stopped right outside of the door of the room I had just been in with my parents and saw Gio heading towards me. I was slightly surprised; had he been waiting for me or something? I waited to say anything until he reached me.

"Hey, Gio," I greeted him. "Is something wrong?"

"Huh?" He blinked at me in confusion before flushing a bit. "N-No! I was just wondering... about that girl! Snow, I mean, right? She's... really pretty."

Oh... Well, yeah. Snow was gorgeous. If I remembered correctly, he had been staring at her earlier. But I was kind of surprised that he waited that long just to say that to me. Well, he was probably more comfortable telling me than Pyrite or Dodge.

"Yeah," I agreed quietly. "She is."

Gio noticed the change in my mood, and an almost frantic expression came across his face. "B-But... You are, too, Amber! You're... _beautiful_."

He totally caught me by surprise; I honestly did not expect that. My eyes widened slightly, and then I relaxed. I smiled softly, feeling my cheeks heat up. I looked away, too flustered to look him in the face. He thought... I was pretty? Me, Amber Rosso-Senri, pretty?

"T-Thanks, Gio," I stammered, a warm, fuzzy feeling filling me as my smile widened slightly.

It was nice... to know... someone thought I was beautiful.

I forced myself to look back up at him, and just in time to see him flash me a bright smile. "Well, it's true! I think so, anyways. Come on, we should go join the others!"

He snagged my hand and proceeded to drag me along with him. I was caught off guard yet again. I felt my face burn even more as he continued to pull me along down the deck, not letting me go.

What was I going to do?! I was already confused enough about Pyrite, and now Gio was making it even more obvious that he liked me. I felt all mixed up. Maybe I needed to use this cruise to figure out my feelings.

He slowed down so that we were walking, which was a bit of a relief, but made me even more nervous.

"I need to tell you something," Gio said, still holding my hand, sounding very serious.

"W-What?" I stammered awkwardly.

Oh, sh*t, I did not need this-

"I'm-" he began.

"There you are!"

I was _relieved_ to see Pyrite and Dodge walking towards us. And then I was horrified when I realized I was still holding Gio's hand.

"...What are you doing?" Pyrite said slowly, eying us.

I panicked, yanking away from Gio, startling him. "Uh, n-nothing!" I blurted, blushing furiously. "Nothing at all!"

"...Sure," Dodge deadpanned, crossing his arms over his chest. "And I just saw a tepig fly."

"S-Shut up!" I snapped.

Gio blinked, confused as always. "Huh? What do you mean? We were just talking..."

Dodge slapped his forehead. "I am so done with all of you."

"...Anyways," Pyrite said, moving on. "How much trouble are you in, Amber?"

Was he... worried about me? Or just asking because he was curious? Arceus, why did this have to happen to me?! I quickly pushed those thoughts out of my mind, sighing loudly.

"Major," I grumbled, crossing my arms over my chest. "I have to f*cking buy whatever the hell she wants. She doesn't deserve sh*t."

"What even happened?" Gio asked curiously.

I grimaced, gripping the sides of my arms tightly. "I... was defending Pyrite from her obsessiveness, and she had the nerve to _slap_ me. So, I broke her nose."

Pyrite's expression soured. "_Seriously_? Please tell me you're joking."

I gave him a dry look. "She thinks she can f*cking _claim_ you like you're a d*mn prize or something! It f*cking p*sses me off!"

Dodge sighed heavily. "Girls. This is why I'm never getting a girlfriend."

"THEN GET A BOYFRIEND!"

We all nearly jumped out of our skin as Brooke appeared out of nowhere.

"Shut up!" her brother snapped, glaring.

She giggled, completely unfazed. "Dodger and Pyrite sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a baby carriage!"

"You are so dead, Brooke!" Dodge snapped.

She just laughed louder, and took off before her brother could grab her. He took off after her. The rest of us just stood there awkwardly.

"...I hate everything," Pyrite deadpanned, looking very irritated.

"You and me both," I grumbled.

"She has... problems," Gio said, his eyes wide with shock and horror.

That was a bit of an understatement.

"So... Uh..." I let out an awkward laugh; Dodge had left me with the two boys that I possibly had feelings for. "How about we, uh, go get some food?"

...Smooth, Amber, smooth. Why couldn't I go back to my old, brash, I-don't-give-a-sh*t self? D*mn it all.

"...Sure," Pyrite said after a moment. "It's about noon now, anyways. Let's go."

And so we headed off to find the others and get some lunch.

...

"You owe be big time, Amber," Carmine stated hotly.

"Go away," I groaned.

"Not until I get my compensation!"

The three of us had managed to find everyone after I had gotten into the room I would be sharing with Carne, and had all gotten lunch together. I was pretty hungry, so I was trying to eat in peace with my friends. I was sitting between Cory and Carne. But of course Carmine wouldn't leave me the hell alone. She was such a f*cking diva. I was trying so hard not to get riled up again so I wouldn't get in even more trouble.

"Will you knock it off already?" Carne retorted, jumping to my defense. "Arceus, give her a break. The whole world doesn't revolve around you, Carmine."

"I know that," she snapped. "But I'm tired of waiting! And Amber's too slow!"

I really wasn't in the mood to put up with her sh*t.

"Fine!" I exclaimed in frustrating, abruptly pushing back my chair. "What do you want that's so d*mn important?!"

Carmine smirked slightly, smug about my obedience. "Oh, well, I'd really like a new dress."

My face fell. There was no dress shop on this cruise ship. She had to know that.

"There's going to be a ball, you know," she continued. "I need to look my best."

There was?! That was news to me. And was a bit nerve wracking to know.. But there was no point in worrying about it now.

"All right, all right," I sighed, a deadened feeling settling down on me. "Go to my room and check the closet. There should be a dress in there. It might be a little small for you, though."

Everyone seemed surprised to find out I had a dress. That was understandable.

"Well, I can get adjustments done," Carmine said matter-of-factly. "So that's not a problem. Give me your key."

I reached down into my bag to get the item. She seemed to be eating up bossing me around. Ugh. What was her _problem_ with me? She never acted this way before. We could get along, even when I was the one being a b*tch. I silently placed the key in her open palm.

"You're lucky I'm not asking for anything else," she spat venomously before whipping around and striding off.

She was lucky her mom was around to heal her f*cking nose.

"...What happened to her?" Carnelian asked incredulously. "She's acting like she has a cactus shoved up her butt."

"It's a long story," Pyrite sighed.

"Snow might know," Denver commented. "Not only is she Carm's closest friend, but she's an empath as well. She knows all of our feelings."

...Sh*t, I totally forgot about that. Great.

"Where is Snow, anyways?" Galena asked.

Denver shrugged. "The last time I saw her she told me she was going to have a battle with Copal, Aryl, or Coral."

I abruptly picked up my bag and stood up.

"Huh? Where are you going?" Cory asked, looking up at me. "Your lunch-"

"I'm not hungry anymore," I said, interrupting him. "Sorry... I just... I just need to think."

I slung my bag onto my shoulder, and without another word, left.

...

_(Corundum's POV)_

Something was most definitely wrong. My sister _always_ ate all of her food. She never skipped meals. That just wasn't her; she liked food too much.

"Okay," I said, looking at everyone seriously. "What in the world _happened_?"

They were all quiet for a moment. Dodge and Pyrite exchanged glances. I waited patiently one of them to say something. They had to know; they were the ones traveling with her, after all.

"Well," Dodge said, finally speaking up. "Several days ago, they got in a big fight. Carmine just _exploded_, and hasn't been the same since."

"Not to mention she flipped out and practically screamed that she had a crush on me for the whole world to hear," Pyrite added with irritation, scowling. "She's gone psycho."

"_Seriously_?!" Carnelian demanded. "Oh, Arceus. Get a freaking grip."

...Well, that wasn't good... I didn't really know how I was supposed to handle this, or what it had to do with anything.

"But what does that have to do with my sister?" I asked in confusion.

Everyone but Quartz and Pyrite gave me dry looks. What? Then it hit me.

"Oh... W-Well, that's still ridiculous," I said, beginning a bit awkwardly at first. "We're only thirteen. No one should be seriously thinking about relationships right now. _Amber_ even knows that."

"They don't say 'love makes you dumb' for no reason," Dodge deadpanned.

"...Touché," I noted.

Well, I didn't really believe that. You could be completely rational and still be in love. My parents were pretty rational people. So were Quartz's and Dodge's. There were plenty of examples to prove that the saying was incorrect.

"...So you think love is stupid?" Carnelian asked, an icy edge to her voice as she narrowed her eyes.

"Pretty much," Dodge said, shrugging and taking a drink from his water.

"How can you _say_ that?!" Carnelian demanded, her temper obviously flaring.

Uh oh. Here we go again...

"Oh, relax Carne," Denver said, interrupting them before a fight could break out. "I think once young Dodger falls in love himself, he will truly understand the wonder of romance. I have yet to experience it myself. But, alas, I'm only fifteen. I still have many years ahead of me. I look forward to that day."

"...What," was Xenon's brilliant response as we all stared at him.

"...Denver," Dodge deadpanned. "You are freaking weird, dude."

"Why, thank you, my friend," he replied, not bothered at all, sipping his tea. "My fathers have raised me well."

Most of us sweatdropped. Denver hadn't changed at all.

"Um... I have a question," Gio piped up. "Since we're talking about love..."

"Yes, my fine fellow?" asked Denver, looking directly at him.

Gio looked a little nervous. "Well, uh... How do you know you... love someone?"

Huh? Why was he asking that? Did he like someone or something? Gosh, what was with all this love talk anyways? We were just kids.

Denver blinked in surprise. "Uh... How am I supposed to know? Ask your parents."

Gio paled. "Uh... W-Well, my dad is really busy..."

"What about your mom?" I asked.

He stiffened, grimacing as he looked down at the food in front of him. "...She's dead."

I gasped, as did several other people. Oh my Arceus, that was just awful! I felt so bad now... I probably made him feel totally awful!

"I'm so sorry!" I exclaimed, horrified with myself. "I didn't know... I'm sorry!"

"It's fine, really," he said, sweatdropping. "It doesn't bother me that much..."

"Anyways!" Galena exclaimed, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Why do you wanna know, Gio? You got a lady on your mind or somethin'?"

"H-Huh?" he stammered, blushing. "M-Maybe..."

"I knew it!" she exclaimed with triumph, smirking slyly. "But you've only really been around one girl, so... That means-"

"I'm going to find Amber!" I declared loudly, interrupting her before she could finish her statement; I didn't really want to hear it.

"O-Okay!" Quartz replied, blushing for some reason.

Also, Pyrite looked kind of ticked off. I didn't really want to know about all this drama involving my sister. Right now, I just wanted to go find her and make sure she was okay. I got up, snatching my bag and picking up the half-eaten tray of food.

"See you guys later," I said, heading off.

...

The last person I wanted to bump into while searching for my sister was Phaedra, my dad's assistant.

Her full name was Phaedra Hunter, and she was somehow distantly related to Aunt Sapph's adopted family. She was young—only twenty-one years old. She had come to us when she was eighteen; her parents had asked Aunt Sapph to find her employment to help someone. So Aunt Sapph dumped her on us. At first she just was like a maid-type person, helping with Blaze and Bolt, but then she proved herself or something, and Dad decided he would promote her to being his assistant.

Why didn't I like her? Well, she so obviously flirted with Dad, making advances on him even know she very well knew he was happily married with kids. She was smart enough to lay off and act like a proper little lady around Mom, because of Mom knew, she was good as dead. Dad was either oblivious, or chose to ignore it but still keep her because she was good at her job.

"Hello, Corundum," she greeted me, doing something on her tablet. "What are you doing?"

Phaedra was of average height, with dirty blonde hair pulled back into a tight bun and gray eyes. She was wearing a tightly fitting white ruffled blouse with enough buttons undone to be, uh, revealing, a short, tight black skirt, and black high heel shoes.

"...Nothing," I grumbled out. "Have you seen Amber?"

"No," she replied evenly, looking down at me with what I could have sworn was contempt. "Shall I call your father and ask him if he knows?"

"...That's not necessary," I said. "I can look for her myself."

"Suit yourself," she said, turning away.

I really did not like that woman, and I usually liked everyone I met.

Without another word, I headed off again. Where would Amber be, anyway? This ship was huge! She could be anywhere!

Well, maybe I should ask my parents anyways. It would be easier to find them first. They were probably on the front deck with Quartz's parents or something.

I rounded the corner, and ended up bumping into the last two people I had thought of, though they weren't alone.

"Have we met before?" Aunt Fiori was asking an auburn-haired woman with pink eyes as she shifted Ivory in her arms.

The woman wasn't alone; Lyric was with her, as was a man with brown hair and eyes. I supposed they were Lyric's parents, then.

Uncle Grey seemed to find her familiar as well, though he stayed silent.

The woman appeared to be a bit nervous. "No, we haven't," she said at last.

"Oh, well, I'm sorry," Aunt Fiori apologized. "I swear you looked familiar."

"It's fine," the woman said. "We should get going. Come on, Lyric, Colin."

Without another word, she headed off, almost like she was rushing away. Lyric looked slightly embarrassed as she glanced back at her father and they headed off after the woman.

"That was... strange," said Aunt Fiori, looking up at her husband.

"No duh," he deadpanned.

She rolled her eyes, and then the two headed off again. I hesitated, wondering if I really should bother them. I decided against it; they looked pretty peaceful and happy right now. I let them walk away. So, instead, I took out a poke ball, and released Kiki, my skitty.

"Skiiiiit!" she cried, leaping up into my arms and giving me a lick on my cheek.

I laughed. "Look, I need your help. There's no time to play."

"Skit," she sighed, her head drooping. "Skit skit?"

I really wished I could understand pokemon like my sister could. It would make life a whole lot easier. But I could manage without it.

"I need you to help me find Amber," I said. "I need to talk to her, and make sure she's okay."

"Skit!" she cried, leaping down out of my arms. "Skitty!"

And with that, she scampered off, leaving me behind. But that wasn't the plan! We were supposed to stick together!

"Aaaah! Wait for me, Kiki!" I cried, rushing after her.

I had no idea how far we ran, or for how long. I just knew by the time the skitty came to a halt, I was exhausted. I had never been an athletic person; in fact, I was awful at sports. I preferred the creative arts. That was how Amber and I differed, though when we were little, we had liked the same things. Then she had changed. I didn't mind it, really, but it drove me insane not knowing what had caused her to become so drastically different. She was my twin, after all.

"Slow... down!" I panted, skidding to a halt as Kiki scampered around the corner in front of me.

"Huh?" I heard a voice say from around the corner. "Kiki, what're you doing here?"

I fixed my hat, and then walked around the corner to see if it was who I thought it was. Yup.

"Amber!" I exclaimed. "I've been looking everywhere for you!"

My sister didn't look too good. She was sitting down, her back pressed up against the wall, her knees pulled up. Kiki had leaped up, forcing herself into Amber's arms. She looked like she had been crying, which wasn't that surprising to me.

"Oh... Hi, Cory," she sighed.

"What are you doing down there?" I asked.

"...I needed to be alone," she muttered, refusing to look me in the eye.

"Out here?" I asked drily. "Come on, Ambs. You can talk to me..."

Kiki mewed loudly, and quickly sneaked a lick on my sister's cheek before leaping away and jumping up onto my shoulder. Amber finally laughed a little, and I couldn't help but join in. But she cut herself off short, looking away from us.

"If I try to explain, I'll just end up sounding like a whiny brat," she grumbled, looking down at the floor of the deck.

"...That's not true!" I insisted. "Come on, Amber... I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong."

"Skitty!" cried Kiki.

She sighed heavily. "Fine... Let's go somewhere else, though."

I held out my hand, and she rolled her eyes before taking it and letting me help her to her feet. I had no idea where she wanted to go, so I just let her lead the way. Neither of us said a word. But I could tell, as we walked, that she was moments away from bursting into tears again. So I stopped.

"Amber, I think this is good enough. No one is around. What's going on?"

She stopped walking, and turned back around to face me. She looked like she was, indeed, on the verge of tears, with her hands clenched into fists and her eyes watering. Oh gosh, what was I going to do?!

"I'm... I'm such a wuss!" she choked, bursting into tears. "I-It shouldn't bother me this much!"

"W-What?!" I gasped, taking a step closer to her. "What are you talking about?"

"T-The dress," she whimpered. "The dress I had to give to Carmine! Dad... Dad made it for me! Just for me... And she must have found out somehow! And she just _had_ to take it! But... it's just a dress... I-It shouldn't bother me so much... I-I don't even like that kind of thing!"

"Oh, Amber," I sighed. "I don't know what to tell you..."

"It just... It just meant a lot to me," she cried, suddenly stepping closer to me and hugging me. "And... And she keeps on ruining everything!"

I put my arms around her, hugging her tightly. I had always known my sister was fragile when it came to her emotions, but after she seemed to get so tough, I didn't think it would be a problem anymore. I was so very wrong.

"I sound like a baby, don't I?" she laughed bitterly. "Carmine's right... I'm a whiny brat... Everyone must hate me..." She choked on another sob.

"That's not true," I insisted, but she pulled away from me, wiping her teary eyes with her hand.

"I'm so pathetic," she cried. "How am I supposed to get better if I can't even get over something as stupid as this?!"

"Amber," I sighed. "It's not stupid. Nothing that means a lot to you is stupid. It was wrong of Carmine, anyways. You were supposed to _buy_ her something, not give her something that belonged to you."

She didn't say anything. Kiki whimpered from her perch on my shoulder. I bet she was just as concerned about my sister as I was. We had pretty much all grown up together. We were family.

"Come on," I said, walking back up to her and taking her hand. "Let's go talk to Dad about it."

"W-What?!" she started, her eyes widening. "Are you crazy?! They're p*ssed at me enough as it is... I don't want to get into anymore trouble, Cory."

"You're not going to get in trouble," I stated firmly. "Trust me, Amber."

She sighed, drooping her head. "Okay, okay. Jeez."

...

Our dad was right where I expected him to be—with Mom, on the front deck, laying on beach chairs, sunbathing. Mom's shiny Pikachu, Raiden, was out, laying on her chest, dozing. Neither of them were in their swimwear, but dressed for a summer day, which is what it felt like. Both our parents looked so peaceful, I felt bad about disturbing them.

"Um, Dad?" I asked as we stopped next to him. "Can we talk to you?"

He opened his eyes, looking up at us. "Is there something wrong?"

"...You could say that," I relented.

Amber sighed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"What now?" Mom asked with irritation, sitting up so that Raiden was knocked down onto her lap. She pushed her sunglasses up on top of her head, giving us stern looks with those orange eyes of hers.

"...You know that dress you made me, Dad?" Amber asked reluctantly, her voice rather soft and low key.

"Yeah," he replied, nodding. "What about it?"

"Well, um..." Amber grimaced, a very nervous, almost nauseated look on her face. "C-Carmine took it..."

"What?!" he demanded, his eyes widening. "What do you mean 'Carmine took it'?"

"It's exactly what it sounds like," I said. "She wanted a dress, so Amber just gave her hers because she didn't want to cause another fight."

"...Are you _serious_?" Mom asked, her tone almost like ice.

"Why would I not be?" I asked.

Dad sighed heavily as he sat up, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Why can't our family be normal?" He looked at my sister. "Do you want it back? Or would you just like a new one? I can do either."

Amber's eyes began to tear up again. "I-I... I would really like a new dress... Thanks... Daddy!"

She suddenly jumped up closer, throwing her arms around him and burying her face into his chest. It was so abrupt, we all were a bit surprised. Dad smiled gently, hugging her back, and even Mom's expression softened.

"That's what I'm here for," he said, continuing to hold her. Then he looked up at me. "Cory. What do you say about helping me make Amber's new dress?"

"What?!" I gasped, my eyes widening. "Really?! I would love to help!"

He smiled. "It's settled then."

Yeah, this cruise was going to turn out all right!

* * *

><p><strong>Wow, I'm so sorry about the late update! I've hit a muse wall for some of my fanfics ahahahaha... But I think Evermore is coming back to me now!<strong>

**A decent chapter...**

**BUT THE CRUISE ARC HAS BEGUN**

**AND GUESS WHAT'S NEXT CHAPTER?**

**A certain ship will be coming canon in the infamous pool chapter that you'll know about if you pay attention to my blog!**

**You've met Snow! Hehe, she's pretty awesome**

**What else...**

**How did you enjoy Cory's POV? It was fun to write. Man, I love that boy. Rubin is also the best dad ever. **

**OH YEAH AND ALL OF THE SHIP TEASE AHAHAHAHAHA**

**Yes, Cerise is... pregnant. But she's not the only one. JUST YOU WAIT**

**Also, I will be eventually be posting a second set of character files. The other set with contain the parents, the two Pokémon Leagues, and a secret. They probably won't be put up until the secret is revealed, though.**

**All right, that's all**

**REVIEW**


	18. 16: Samurott Makes A Splash

**EVERMORE**

**~Sequel Of The Forever Trilogy~**

**Chapter 16**

**Samurott Makes A Splash**

_Tuesday, September 7, 5018._

_(Copal's POV)_

"Good morning, Copal!"

I started, turning around just to see Galena and her friend Lyric. I relaxed, laughing at myself a little. I had been so nervous these past few days... Having to share a room with Aryl wasn't helping either.

"Morning!" I greeted them, trying to be cheerful. "What's up?"

"_Weeeeell_," Galena drawled out, that sneaky glint returning to her bright green eyes. "We're-"

"Going swimming," Lyric said, interrupting, giving her friend a dry look. "We're going to the indoor pool nearest our rooms with everyone and wondered if you wanted to come."

Swimming, huh? Well, what could it hurt? It would be a good way to get to know the younger kids better. And I had nothing better to do today.

"Okay!" I exclaimed, nodding. "I'm in! Let me get my bathing suit and stuff real quick. I'll see you in a bit."

"Yay!" Galena cheered as I turned to go. "Don't take too long, Copal!"

I laughed again as I headed back towards my room. About halfway there, I was discovered by the two friends I was trying to avoid. Crap.

"Copal-chan!" Aryl exclaimed, waving me down, already carrying a bag of what I assumed as her swim stuff, as was Coral.

I was about to panic when the door next to me opened up abruptly, and out stepped my little sister and Carnelian.

"Amber!" I exclaimed, almost with relief, whipping around to face the two girls. "How's my favorite little sister?!"

Amber nearly jumped out of her skin before giving me a weird look. "What the f*ck? Are you okay, Copal?"

"You look nervous," Carne commented, sounding concerned.

"Uh..." I sweatdropped.

"Copal-chan!" Aryl exclaimed again as she and her cousin reached us. "Are you going swimming?!"

Oh crap, going swimming with Aryl around wasn't the smartest thing to do. She had a habit of stealing the tops of girls' two-piece bathing suits. She liked seeing their reactions, though I was pretty sure there was a pervy side to it as well. That was partially why I only wore one-pieces.

"...Yeah," I replied at last. "I am."

"Goodie!" she cheered, smirking playfully. "'Cause I already got your stuff! Let's go, guys!"

I was so screwed.

...

I was even more screwed when I realized Galena had had Aryl switch out my modest blue one-piece swimsuit with a _skimpy bikini_. I was already in a stall in the dressing room and everything, ready to get changed.

"I can't wear this!" I shrieked, staring at the sapphire blue bikini with white lace lining the top edges of both pieces. "Give back my old swimsuit!"

I heard Galena's maniacal laughter. "Ohohoho, no way! I'll get someone to burn it if I have to!"

I unlocked the door, and stuck my head out to glare at the girl. "You wouldn't dare!"

"Watch. Me," she taunted with that smirk of hers.

"Aw, c'mon, Copal-chan," Aryl drawled, reappearing from where she had been changing. "What can it hurt?"

...If I wore that... Part of my scar would be visible. I didn't want anyone to see that. I didn't want anyone to see that much of my body either. It was embarrassing. I wasn't a person who flaunted. I only wanted the right person to see me, the person who I planned to marry someday, whoever they were out there.

"You shouldn't make her do anything that makes her uncomfortable," Coral chided, walking into view, still fully clothed.

I sighed heavily. "Okay, okay, fine. I'll wear it."

I retreated back into the stall before anyone else could say anything. There was more talking as I changed into the bikini. It was so scantily clad, I felt vulnerable and naked.

...I really needed to stop giving into peer pressure. That was a major problem I had.

"Yo, Copal-chan, you okay in there?" I heard Aryl call to me.

Crap, how could I go out there like this?!

"Copal? Seriously, dude, you're worrying me here-"

I unlocked the door and abruptly pushed it open, nearly hitting Aryl in the process.

"Whoa!" she cried, jumping back to avoid being hit by the door just in time. "CHILL... out."

She just stared at me, her golden eyes widening. Everyone else basically had the same reaction.

"W-What?" I stammered, feeling my cheeks heat up with embarrassment. "Is there something wrong?"

"...I'm out of here," I heard Snow say in the background. "I need an aspirin."

I fidgeted awkwardly. "Stop staring at me!" I blurted.

Aryl snapped out of her daze, her cheeks tinting pink. "Ahahahaha... Sorry. C'mon, let's go!"

She snagged my hand and proceeded to drag me out of the locker room, leaving Coral behind. I tried pulling away from her, but she was just too strong. I was overwhelmed when I saw that some of the boys were already out, including Finn and Cade.

"Swim time!" Aryl cheered, pushing me into the pool.

I crashed into the pool, going underwater. I gathered my senses and swam back to the surface, gasping for air once I could. I shook my head, trying to get some of the water out of my hair.

"Aryl!" I exclaimed angrily, coughing a bit. "What the hell was that for?!"

She laughed, putting her hands on her hips, and I finally noticed her swimsuit. She must have gotten a new one because I definitely had not seen this one before. It was a relatively modest type of bikini, colored gold and black, which wasn't a surprise; those were Aryl's favorite colors. The top was gold, outlined with black, and, uh, was it just me or did she seem... bustier than before? A-Anyways, the bottoms were more like boy shorts, and were entirely black. Her skin gleamed healthily with tan. She... was...

No, what was wrong with me?! Aryl was my best friend! And we were both girls...

"What's wrong, Copal-chan?" she taunted playfully, leaning forward that so her hands were resting on her knees. "This is a pool. You're gonna get wet!"

"I know that," I replied irritably. "Just don't push me in!"

Aryl responded by jumping into the pool, and I flinched, recoiling from her and the splashing water.

"D'aaaaaw, Copal-chan," she drawled once she had surfaced, her dark hair plastered to her head, a lazy look in her gold eyes that I knew meant trouble. "Where's your sense of adventure?!"

...What were we talking about again?

"S-Someone could get hurt," I got out, slowly turning around, which was my biggest mistake. "Just—AAAAAAAH!"

I yelped in surprise as I felt her grab me from behind, nearly jumping out of my skin and having a heart attack.

"Gotcha," she drawled, pulling me close to her, running her hands around my waist, which made me yelp again.

"A-Aryl," I growled faintly, trying not to freak out as my cheeks were burning and my heart was beginning to race. "L-Let me go..."

Dear Arceus, why was I reacting this way?! Why now?! Why did she have to do this to me?! Why was I feeling this?!

"No can do," she snickered, and then _turned me around_ to face her.

I was screwed.

"S-Stop it," I stammered.

"Heh." She had this killer, lazy smirk on her face. She leaned in close, and I froze as she brushed her nose up against mine. Then she moved so her mouth was right next to my ear, our cheeks touching. I couldn't breathe. "No."

She began to ran her hands up my back, her lips brushing up against my cheek. My heart pounded faster, and my breath quickened. I had no idea what was going on, only really aware of what it was making me feel. I was vaguely aware that I was starting to tip over, so I instinctually reached out with my arms to balance myself, though they only ended up around her neck.

That lazy look of trouble was still in her eyes, albeit toned down some, as she leaned forward and rested her forehead on mine. I could feel my cheeks burning even hotter, my heart racing even faster. My breathing was even turning ragged. But I didn't mind. Just the fact that we were so close, in so little clothing, and touching, was making me feel...

I liked this.

But then, suddenly, she jerked, smashing her lips to mine, kissing me. It was so abrupt, I was shocked a little, but my brain had already malfunctioned, and I found myself kissing her back.

It felt... perfect.

She had one hand on my shoulder, slowly slipping back towards my neck, the other running through my soaked hair, messing up my ponytail. I felt my back press up against the wall, her legs brushing up against mine. But I was too absorbed with kissing to really care.

She was just... so... amazing... I...

I vaguely felt something tugging at me, and then slip off me. Then I heard a scream, and then a crash.

Wait a second...

My eyes shot open and I realized what was happening—I was having an intense make out session with Aryl in the pool in front of everyone and she had just stolen my bikini top.

I panicked, shoving her away from me with all my might. I sunk into the water, wrapping my arms around my chest, trying to hide. I was so embarrassed I couldn't find my voice. I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

I couldn't believe I just did that!

Well, what would I have said anyways? I felt so humiliated, with my face burning and part of my swimsuit missing. Why did she have to do this to me?!

I carefully reached out to snag back my top from Aryl, who was in some sort of frozen state, and then sank underwater to put it back on. Then I surfaced, got up out of the pool, and retreated back to the locker room as everyone stared at me.

I had to get away...

...

_(Amber's POV)_

What... just... _HAPPENED_?

I had barely sat down on my towel, all ready to chill with my friends, when my sister started sucking face with her best friend in the f*cking pool. I wasn't sure who the hell had screamed, but it definitely wasn't me. And Pyrite, who had just returned when it started, had dropped his smoothie, which had shattered to bits on the floor. Everyone, except for a couple of us, was in shock.

"...What... the _f*ck_... just happened?" I demanded slowly, my eyes still wide.

No one responded to my question. Aryl finally seemed to snap out of her daze, her eyes as wide as saucers.

"Holy sh*t," she breathed, not budging an inch. "Did I seriously just do that?"

"...Yes," Coral deadpanned.

"Sh*t," Aryl groaned, slowly moving out of the pool. "D*mmit. Mother of f*cking _pearl_. I'm so _f*cked_." She climbed out, dripping wet. "Sorry, I have to f*cking fix this. See you guys later."

"Good luck with that!" Finn exclaimed cheerfully, earning himself a smack from Cade that nearly knocked him down.

"Shut up, Finn!" Aryl snapped angrily before slamming the locker door shut behind her.

"Oh my goodness," Quartz breathed, her pink eyes wide.

"I'm scarred for life," Cory muttered with a shudder.

I glanced over at Gio, wondering how he had taken it all. He was the most sensitive about that kind of thing out of all of us. He was frozen stiff, his silver eyes wide with shock and horror. All color had drained from his face. He looked like he was going to be sick.

Denver waved us all off. "I say it's about time!"

Well, Copal did tell me all that stuff earlier... But d*mn, I didn't expect it to escalate this quickly.

"Ugh," Pyrite groaned from where he was standing. "Great, just look at this mess."

"I'll clean it up," Coral said, taking a step forward; she had never sat down. "Just get a new one, Pyrite."

"...All right," he sighed, turning to go. "Thanks."

Now was my chance.

"I'll go with you!" I exclaimed, hopping to my feet.

He paused, looking at me with slight surprise. "What-"

"No way!" Carmine cried, standing up. "You don't want to go with her! I'll go with you!"

...You had _got_ to be kidding me. So what I wanted to go with Ry to get smoothies?! We were friends. Friends do stuff like that. It only partially had to do with my confused feelings...

"...Uh, no thanks," Pyrite said, noticing the tension building between my cousin and me; I was _so_ close to flipping out on her again. "Amber can come with me."

Ha! Take that, b*tch! It took me every last ounce of self control not to stick my tongue out at her; that would have been immature and childish. Instead, I smiled sweetly, reached down to pick up the white terrycloth swimsuit-covering-mini-dress-thing that Quartz had lent me, put it on, and then flipped her off.

"Thanks for the support, cuz," I drawled tartly as she gasped in rage at my obscene gesture. "Love ya too!"

I scampered off to join Pyrite before anything could happen, who gave me a dry look, and then we headed off together. Surprisingly, I felt happy and light, like I had no problems in the world right now.

"Why did you want to come with me?" he asked, glancing over at me as we walked.

I shrugged slightly. "Just wanted to get away... after what happened."

"...Yeah," he agreed after a moment, sighing and looking back up. "That was... awkward."

"I hope Copal's okay..." I muttered.

"I'm sure she'll be fine," he said, trying to reassure me. "Aryl went to talk to her, after all."

"I hope so..."

"Try not to worry about it, Ambs."

_Ambs_. I liked it when he called me that. He didn't do it often, but something about his voice when he said it... just got to me.

I looked up at him hesitantly after a couple moments of silence. "Hey, Ry..."

"What?" he asked, looking back down at me.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself. "You said, the other day, that you like someone."

He seemed a little caught off guard. "Yeah, why?"

"I was just wondering," I said, looking away, "who it was."

He was silent, and for a moment the only sounds I could hear were our footsteps and the waves brushing up against the side of the ship. "...You know her."

Wait, I did?! And why did I want to know so badly?! Ugh, I couldn't understand myself at all. D*mmit.

"Really?" I asked in surprise.

He gave me another dry look. "We know the same people, Ambs."

"How the hell was I supposed to know that?!"

"Calm down! Jeez."

"I'm perfectly calm," I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest.

Pyrite rolled his eyes. "Sure."

I forced myself to let it go. "So, are you gonna tell me who she is?"

"...No," he deadpanned.

D*mmit... I decided to act apathetic about it, like I didn't really care.

"Oh... Well, that's too bad," I said impassively. "It's your business, so I shouldn't pry. I was just thinking I could help or something."

He stopped dead in his tracks, so I paused and turned around, confused. He was giving me a weird look, with his white t-shirt glaring bright in the sunlight, contrasting with his black swimming trunks.

"...Are you... feeling okay, Amber?" he asked slowly. "You've been... acting really weird lately. Do you need to talk?"

Was it _really_ that strange?! I could feel my temper flaring, like a wild pokemon trying to bust out of a poke ball. But I didn't want to explode on him; I didn't want to hurt him. I had done enough damage already.

"Is it wrong of me to care about you?!" I snapped, my voice having a bit more bite than I intended.

Just... the way he made it sound... It hurt...

"What? No!" he hastily exclaimed in defense. "I didn't mean it like that! It's just... you've been so stressed lately. You're not... free like you used to be."

I let out a bitter laugh, turning around so my back was to him. "Well, if I let myself be free, I do stupid sh*t and make everyone hate me. Nobody's making it easy."

"Then I'll make it easy for you, Amber," he said gently. "Just... start smiling again. Please. If for anything, then for me."

My heart seemed to flutter, skipping a beat. It was a strange feeling. I didn't know what to do. I didn't understand my feelings. What was this? Why was he doing this to me? It was almost like the Pokémon Tower all over again...

"Okay," I said at last.

...

_(Dodge's POV)_

"What's taking them so long?!" Carmine grumbled irritably.

I was just chilling, laying down on my towel on the floor, next to Denver, who had propped himself up, with Gio on my other side, sitting up awkwardly.

"Will you just shut up?" Carnelian snapped from wherever she was sitting, sounding really annoyed. "Arceus."

"Guuuuuuys!" Galena exclaimed. "Don't fight!"

I hated girls sometimes. This was one of those times.

"I'm not fighting," Carnelian retorted defensively. "I'm just telling her to shut that big mouth of hers. It's none of her business what Amber and Pyrite are doing."

Wow, there was actually something we actually agreed on!

"Carm, just don't," I heard Finn said, a stern, warning edge to his voice. "Stop it. You're making things worse."

Maybe she would actually listen to _him_.

"Can we talk about something else?" I deadpanned. "I'm tired of hearing this."

"You're not the only one, dude," said Denver.

Carmine huffed, scowling. "Whatever."

"...Dodge...?" Gio asked slowly, sounding a bit uncomfortable. "Are you going to swim?"

"Probably," I replied evenly. "Once everyone calms the heck down."

He sighed. "Can I ask for your opinion on something?"

"Sure."

"Do you think... um... that I... stand a chance... with Amber?" he asked me, slowly and quietly.

You had _got_ to be kidding me. Gio, too?! Arceus, who was next?! This was insane! Denver let out a low whistle. I sat up, and pulled off my sunglasses, giving him a long, hard look.

"You're kidding, right?" I asked, hoping—no, praying—that he was.

He blinked, confused, and shook his head. "No..."

"Hoo booooy," Denver drawled. "Sorry, I couldn't help but overhear. But Ambs? You've got a lot of work to do if you want to win her."

"Why?" Gio asked, frowning.

I slapped my forehead with my empty hand as Denver pushed himself up into a sitting position. Ugh. I hated everything. Things were just getting worse and worse. When would this end?

"Why, you ask? Because Ambs has been crazy about Ry for a looooong time, even if she doesn't realize it," Denver said. "That's why all this drama with Carm's goin' on."

Gio's eyes widened. "Pyrite...? But wasn't she mean to him before?"

"That's just how Amber is," I sighed. "But she isn't acting like that anymore, thank Arceus. Now, anyways. She used to be an angel."

"Yeah, those were the days," Denver said with a nod, reminiscing.

"Anyways," I continued. "Do I think you stand a chance? Sorry, bro, but nope."

"You could _try_," Denver mused. "She does seem to have taken a liking to you. So I think _maybe_."

I shook my head. "Have you _seen_ them lately? Something's definitely going on between 'em."

I couldn't forget what he told me, after all—what she did in the Pokémon Tower. You could not tell me something was not going on after that. There was no way. Especially considering the time back when we were kids...

Denver shrugged. "Depends on what you see. But I would give up just yet, Gio."

I wanted to bang my head up against a wall. Was everyone here that dense?!

"Fine then," I deadpanned, very much irritated. "Don't listen to me. But don't come crying to me when your heart gets broken."

Denver gave me a dry look. "Don't be such a pessimist!"

"I know my best friends."

Just then, said best friends returned, each holding a smoothie. Amber was actually _smiling_ and _laughing_, and Pyrite seemed to be in a better mood. It made me happy to see them happy, even if the romance thing that was going on between them weirded me out.

"Right!" Amber was saying. "So then she had me-"

"What took you so long?!" Carmine demanded, leaping up to her feet.

Oh, for the love of Arceus.

Amber's happiness vanished instantaneously; she scowled, narrowing her eyes. "None of your business," she spat. "Butt out."

...Her reaction could have been much worse. I was glad she was getting a grip on herself finally.

Pyrite didn't look too pleased either, but he stayed silent. He walked over to where we were sitting, completely ignoring Carmine. He sat down on his towel, which was across from mine, set down his smoothie, and pulled off his t-shirt. He sighed, shaking his head to fix his hair.

"What's up?" he asked, looking at each of us.

...Well, this was awkward.

I coughed, covering my mouth with my fist as I did so. "Nothing much."

Gio couldn't look Pyrite in the face, and he seemed to be awkwardly uncomfortable. Denver seemed to be the only one that wasn't bothered.

"...I see," Pyrite said, obviously feeling the awk too. "Well, then." He lifted up his smoothie to take a sip.

"What's wrong, Dodger?" came the Satanic trill of my _dear little sister_. "Does seeing Pyrite shirtless make you _want_ him?"

Pyrite choked on his smoothie. "WHAT?"

She was so dead.

"Brooke," I growled threateningly.

"No, you're supposed to say Ry's name like that!" she exclaimed, leaping into view, clasping her face with both hands.

I was so done.

Denver laughed. "I think you need a new OTP, Brooke. That ship's impossible."

...What?

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Will you just knock it off?"

She giggled maniacally, which was just as irritating. Arceus, when would she learn to lay off already? It was annoying as hell, not amusing at all. I had no idea how she even got this way.

"Hey!" I heard Amber bark, and I looked up to see that she had come over, hands on her hips. "Lay off, Brooke! It's not funny!"

She had a fierce look on her face, and Brooke flinched, shrinking back. There was one thing for certain about my sister—she was absolutely scared of Amber. I had no idea why, but it was good for us right now. She wouldn't dare not do what Amber told her.

"S-Sorry," she stammered, slowly making her exit away from us. "I-I won't do it again..."

Suuuuuuure you won't. Once Amber was gone, she would be back to her annoying antics. That was what always happened.

"...Thanks," I said once my sister had slunk away like the little snake she was.

She looked down at us, and shrugged. "She's f*cking annoying. How do you put up with her sh*t?"

I sighed. "No idea..."

Pyrite sighed too, but his was much heavier. "This isn't very relaxing."

Gio stayed silent, still looking uncomfortable. "Your sister has problems..."

"Tell me about it!" I exclaimed in exasperation.

"Well, she's gone now," Amber said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Don't worry about it, guys!"

"Easier said than done," Pyrite muttered.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, looking down at him. "Don't get all miserable! If she starts bugging you again, just lemme know and I'll handle it!"

"Well, I think now's a good time to play a game," Denver said, speaking up. "How about some volleyball in the pool?"

Amber's eyes brightened up. "Ooooh, yeah! That sounds awesome!" She smirked deviously. "Girls against boys!"

"...Of course," I sighed.

Her grinned widened. "I hope you're ready to get your a**es kicked! 'Cause you're goin' down _hard_!"

Denver laughed. "We'll see, Ambs!"

"V-Volleyball?" Gio asked, confusion once again in his eyes.

"...Seriously?" Pyrite groaned. "Volleyball is a sport, a game, whatever you want to call it."

"Oh... Um... I'd like to try it out...!"

Gio was still so awkward... Ahahahaha...

I wondered how long this would last.

Amber's grin returned. "A'right! Just stick with these guys, okay? They'll show you! Okay, I'm gonna let the others know!"

"Ry, help me get the net set up," I said, standing up onto my feet. "Denver, we might need your help too."

"Just let me know!" Denver said with a nod, as Pyrite set down his smoothie and stood back up.

I really hoped this would help lift everyone's spirits. We could use that.

…

_(Copal's POV)_

I had fled to my room after the incident, locked the door behind me, and collapsed on my bed. I curled myself up, hiding in the covers, trying to separate myself from the rest of the world after what had happened. I was so confused, and I thought best when I was alone and in silence.

But... the more I thought... the more it made sense. Everything I had been avoiding my entire life, everything I had ever denied.

I guess... maybe... Sally was right after all...

...Ugh... It made me want to cry, just thinking that.

Suddenly, there was a knock on my door, and I nearly jumped out of my skin. "Yo, Copal-chan?" called the voice of Aryl. "Are you okay?"

I... I didn't want to talk to her right now. She was the one I was avoiding.

"I'm fine," I replied, calling back, though my voice was shaky and pretty much told her that I was lying.

There was a jiggling sound, like she was unlocking something, and then the doorknob turned and she stepped inside. I freaked out for a second, before I remembered that we were sharing rooms. Great. I turned my back to her, facing the wall, feeling my face begin to burn, pulling the covers up around me some more. I heard her walk up to the side of my bed. I was trying not to panic.

There was a tense, almost hesitant pause before she spoke up. "Hey... I... I'm-"

But I couldn't listen to her. I just couldn't. So I squeezed my eyes shut, clutched my sheets, and buried my face into my pillow as I tried to drown her out. All I could really remember is how it felt... how it made me feel... I didn't want it to be serious...

I hugged myself, trying to think about anything but that.

Then I realized she had stopped talking.

"Stop..." she said, her voice almost a growl.

My body went rigid, and I sat back up, turning to look at her, confused. She had a pained expression on her face, one of frustration and anger.

"Aryl...?" I asked slowly, confused.

"I'm not going to be played around with anymore," she said.

"What?" I gasped, still very much confused. "What are you-"

"Copal, I love you."

I just stared at her. I tried to say something, but no words came out. I felt a jolt go through my heart, and all I could do was look at her, my eyes wide. She was serious. She was always serious when she didn't add -chan to my name.

"All of this time," she added, staring back at me.

Oh... My... Arceus... I just blinked at her, my chest tightening.

"I... hated it," she said quietly. "When you told me you were dating him."

"But you said-" I blurted as I looked down at my covers.

"What else could I say?" she snapped, interrupting me, making me almost flinch. I looked back up to see that her fists were clenched. "Ever since we were kids... I've wanted to protect you. I've wanted you to be happy, to have a better life... I wanted to be a part of your life."

I couldn't say anything.

"Remember when they finally found you a heart donor? When we were eight?" she asked, her voice quieter once more. "I thought you had some sort of attack or something. I thought you were going to die.

"Of course I remember that..." I said softly.

How could I ever forget that day? The day I got my second chance... I would be dead by now if I hadn't gotten that heart transplant.

"I was so scared, Copal, I thought I was going to lose you, my best friend. But… when they said you were going to be okay… and I ran in there and saw you smiling like you could light up the whole world… I thought, 'This is a sight I want to see every day.'"

Ohhh... Aryl...

"I think... that was when I fell in love with you."

I clutched at my sheets tighter. Every time she said that... I felt...

"I kept it to myself, then." She let out a bitter laugh. "I was so naïve when I thought that I could have you all to myself, forever..."

I...

"But… when he came along, I felt… betrayed. Like another prince had beaten me to the castle. I wanted him gone, Copal."

I had known that Aryl hadn't liked Rai at all, but I never realized it was because of this reason... I never imagined she would feel about me this way...

"I felt a little… selfish when you broke up with him. I was so happy, yet as angry as hell, even though I should have been comforting you..."

Ahahahaha... The only reason I even broke up with Rai was, really, because of Aryl... I hated admitting it, but that was the truth.

"I thought I could have you for myself, Copal, but… I could never have you. I tried giving up on doing this for myself… to just support you… maybe if I got over it, then maybe I wouldn't be as hurt when you got married and ran off with the love of your life…"

It... hurt me so much to hear her saying all this. I had been so clueless, so completely oblivious to the pain that I was causing her. There had been signs, but I had been so deep in denial that I couldn't recognize them... I was... an awful friend, wasn't I? I couldn't even see that I was hurting my best friend.

"But in the pool… when I lost control, I was just trying to tease you, but… and then… you kissed me back, you touched me back, it was like you really loved me back. I felt… so…" She scowled, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment. "But even then, you ran away, you avoided me, you…"

Oh my Arceus, this was all my fault...

"Please… just give me an answer… I don't know if I can get over this…"

That was it.

I couldn't take it anymore.

I reached forward, grabbing her shirt, and buried my face in it. I startled Aryl, which made her shut up, her whole body freezing.

"I… don't know," I said after a moment. "I can't answer you…put don't leave… just yet… I promise I'll tell you but… I just want to stay like this… Just a little longer…"

…

_Wednesday, September 8, 5018. _

_(Arylide's POV)_

Nothing really happened after that. The next day came rather quickly. I spent time mostly with Cade, Coral, and Finn. Copal was around too, but she was too busy thinking, I supposed. Cade and Finn not once mentioned the pool incident, though I wasn't lucky enough to have Coral not say a word to me. I only vaguely answered her questions. I didn't really feel like saying anything.

When night fell, I didn't feel like going to sleep yet, so I wandered around the ship until I reached the front deck. It was quiet, so I sat down on the wide edge, looking up at the sky. The moon was full, its bright light reflecting on the dark waves. You could see every single star in the sky. It was beautiful.

I wondered if I was cursed...

I always seemed to mess up everything somehow... Every time, it was always my fault when things were ruined. I wasn't great with words, just like my dad. I was a doer more than a speaker. And this had always caused me so many problems. Like... that one time in Unova... That had been the biggest mistake of my life.

We would be stopping at Castelia City, and then going to Nimbasa. Electra was there, Audra and Delaney's daughter. We were friends, but Electra knew something about me that neither Copal nor Coral did. She was there when it happened... I was praying to Arceus that she would keep her mouth shut about it.

Because... if she said something... I might lose Copal for forever... And I didn't know what I would do if that happened.

...I was so pathetic.

Out of nowhere, I felt something tug on my sleeve. I looked up, caught off guard, and saw that it was Copal. She had a sincere look on her face... I opened my mouth to say something, but my lips were sealed when she kissed me. I froze for a moment, and then realized what was happening. I pulled her close, wrapping my arms around her waist as I kissed her back. She didn't resist, instead clenching the back of my shirt. I don't think I had ever been this happy before in my life.

It last several minutes before we stopped. My breath was short, and my body felt like it was on fire. I hadn't felt this intensely... Nope, not gonna think about it. I looked into her beautiful blue eyes, and she gazed back into mine. I was sooooo happy! I pressed my head into the crook of her neck. She smelled sweet, like lilacs.

"Tell me your answer, Copal-chan," I murmured.

"You mean it wasn't obvious?" she asked, sounding surprised.

"I want to hear you say it."

There was silence as I pressed my lips to her neck. She still didn't respond for a moment.

"...I love you, Aryl. Maybe even longer than I thought... Maybe even longer than you..."

…

_Thursday, September 9, 5018._

_(Amber's POV) _

"We're going swimming again?" I asked in surprise, looking at Copal.

She nodded, looking a little sheepish. "Yeah... Aryl and I want to make up for what happened last time."

"So you're talking to each other again?" Carne asked, raising an eyebrow.

Copal's cheeks flushed. "Yeah, why wouldn't we?"

"I dunno, you were kinda ignoring each other for the past couple of days," I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

Copal sighed. "Well, we're fine now. Just get your stuff and come to the indoor pool, okay?"

…

About twenty minutes later, we had all changed and gathered in the indoor pool. I was standing to the side with Carne, Quartz, Galena, and Lyric, and we were all talking. I looked over to see that Aryl had brought out a poke ball. A samurott materialized, and jumped into the pool. Water exploded everywhere, soaking everyone.

"ARYL!" Copal shrieked from where she stood, absolutely _drenched_.

She keeled over laughing. "Ahahahaha! You were gonna get wet anyways!"

I wiped my dripping bangs out of my eyes, and pushed my ponytail behind my back. I looked at my friends. They were all drenched, and didn't look too happy either.

I heard some snickering, so I looked back over to see that it was Aurum. Mica slapped his forehead as Xenon burst out into laughter. What was so funny...?

...Wait a second...

"PERVERT!" I screeched. "You're f*cking nasty, Aurum!"

"Agh, SERIOUSLY?!" Carne snapped, looking pretty p*ssed herself.

"Why are all my cousins perverted idiots," Pyrite deadpanned.

"No idea," Dodge sighed.

Gio blinked. "Huh...? It's just water..."

"Snrk... I'm so done!" Aryl cried, bursting into more laughter.

Coral sighed heavily.

I finally dared to look at my sister. Her hands were clenched into fists, she looked absolutely positively _livid_. I swore her eye even twitched.

"Aurum, Mica, and Xenon Kimu..." she growled, glaring at them as she lifted her own poke ball. "I WILL _EXECUTE_ YOU!"

…Oh sh*t.

She released her starmie, and it appeared before us, spinning in the air. She pointed to the three boys, who looked terrified. "STARY! BLIZZARD!"

...So that was what an execution was. They were so dead.

* * *

><p><strong>WHAT A CHAPTER GOSH<strong>

**SO!**

**Summershipping is now canon! YAY! But they haven't told anyone yet. **

**This was a very shippy chapter ASDFGHJKL**

**So, Gio has pretty much made it clear that he's interested in Amber. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR NORTH-SOUTH? You'll have to wait and see. **

**North-South is also making some more progress EHEHEHEHEHEHE**

**That's all!**

**THE CRUISE ARC CONTINUES ON**

**REVIEWS ARE LOVE**


	19. 17: Pikachu Tells A Tale

**WARNING: IF YOU HAVE NOT READ ALL OF THE FOREVER TRILOGY, THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS. DO NOT READ IF YOU INTEND TO READ THE TRILOGY, OR YOU WILL BE SPOILED. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.**

* * *

><p><strong>EVERMORE<strong>

**~Sequel Of The Forever Trilogy~**

**Chapter 17**

**Pikachu Tells A Tale**

_Friday, September 10, 5018._

_(Amber's POV)_

Everything felt a lot calmer today. It had to be the atmosphere; the tension was totally gone. I felt like I could finally relax.

"I need to get some training in," I muttered as I walked along with Carnelian, Juno perched on my shoulder.

She gave me a look. "Are you _serious_?"

"What?" I retorted defensively. "We may be on vacation, but that doesn't mean it's time to slack off."

"...Good point," she admitted, crossing her arms over her chest. "I guess you're right."

I grinned. "Of course I am!"

She snorted in amusement, rolling her eyes at me. "But how are you gonna do it?"

...Sh*t. How exactly _was_ I going to train here? Did the cruise ship even have a place to do that kind of thing?

"D*mmit!" I groaned. "I have no idea!"

"Oh! Oh! Guysssssss!"

Out of the blue, Bronze appeared. His silver eyes were wide with exhilaration, his dark red hair wilder than usual. He bolted up to us, looking really excited about something.

"What's up, Bronze?" Carne asked him.

"There's gonna be a competition!" he exclaimed. "With both battles and contests! Isn't that awesome?! I have to enter! It's gonna be _sooooo_ much fun and-"

"Whoa, whoa, slow down!" I cried. "Did you say _competition_?"

He nodded, his head bobbing up and down rapidly. "Yeah! Um, but you have to have a partner!"

...D*mmit.

"That does sound like fun," Carne said, before turning to me. "Well, there's your training, Amber."

I put my hands on my hips. "But there's a contest too! I can't do that sh*t! My pokemon aren't suited for that!"

Juno sighed, her ears drooping. _"But it would be fun..."_

"Then just ask Cory to be your partner, duh," she snorted, like it was a no brainer. "You can help each other out that way. Besides, you've barely spent any time together lately."

...I was such an idiot. She was right!

"I'm gonna ask Lena! Bye-bye!" Bronze exclaimed before bolting away; jeez, he was always so d*mn hyper.

"...I'll do that," I said at last, nodding. "Where do you think he is right now?"

"Hey, don't ask me!" she exclaimed. "He's _your_ twin brother, not mine!"

"Okay, okay, jeez!" I shouted, glaring at her briefly. "He's probably helping Dad or something."

"Then let's go."

So we headed off to my dad's Contest Society room where he was doing whatever the hell he had to do for his job; I never had understood it. But Cory wasn't the only extra person in the room; Mom was there too, talking to that b*tch of an assistant, Phaedra. Dad was in the back, at his desk with Cory.

"...look into the price of cribs," Mom was telling her, business mode on. "We'll need a new carriage, too; the others are too old. What else..."

"...Mom?" I asked slowly, very much confused.

She started a little, and then turned around to face us. "Oh, Amber and Carnelian. Well... Uh..."

"You must be helping Aunt Cerise, right?" Carne asked, unfazed.

Mom grimaced, though it was like she was wincing too. "No... I'm not."

Wait, WHAT?

OH ARCEUS NO!

FIRST MY AUNT AND UNCLE, AND NOW MY OWN PARENTS?! WAS NO ONE AROUND HERE SANE?! F*CKING D*MMIT, WHAT WAS WRONG WITH EVERYONE?!

"Then why are you asking Phaedra to look into baby stuff?" Carne asked, puzzled.

She didn't GET IT?!

Mom sighed heavily, crossing her arms over her chest. "Because I'm pregnant."

COULD. I. JUST. DIE. NOW?!

"Aargh!" I groaned, throwing my arms up into the air. "_Again_?! Are you f*cking kidding me?!"

"Excuse me?" Mom snapped, switching to her mother mode. "What did you say?"

...Whups.

Carne facepalmed.

"Uh..." I sweatdropped, gulping a little. "...Freaking?"

She sure as hell wasn't fooled. D*mn, I was such an idiot.

"Watch your mouth," she warned me, narrowing her eyes. "I won't tolerate it again."

"Yes, Mom," I sighed, lowering my gaze to stare at my feet. "Um... I need to ask Cory something. That's why I'm here."

"Well, he's back there with your father," she said, returning her attention to Phaedra. "As I was saying-"

"Is that all, Ms. Rosso-Senri?" Phaedra interrupted, a hostile edge to her voice. "I have work to do."

...That was a really bad idea. You did _not_ cut off my mom when she was talking to you. It was an absolutely no-no. I was no empath, but I could feel the tension rising just from the b*tch's stupid statement. It got dead quiet.

I couldn't help but laugh, earning me a look from Carne.

"What's so funny?!" Phaedra snapped, glaring at me.

"Oh, lay off on your stupid little show already!" I exclaimed, scowling. "Cory, Copal, and I _all_ know why you work for our dad."

"Amber!" Cory gasped from where he was standing in the back with Dad. "Don't!" I had everyone's attention now. Mom looked even more p*ssed off, Carne's eyes were wide, Dad looked confused, Phaedra looked like she wanted to kill me, and the other workers in the room looked shocked. There was no way I was gonna let this go—not when I had the chance to make sure everyone knew what a b*tch Phaedra Hunter really was. I wouldn't stand for it to continue; _no one_ messed with my family.

"Homewrecker!" I snapped angrily. "But you ain't wrecking _my_ home, b*tch!"

"Oh Arceus," Cory breathed/groaned, while Carne just went, "Wait, _what_?!"

"Just _look_ at her!" I exclaimed, gesturing and turning toward her. "She's just _begging_ for attention! And now she's all p*ssy because Mom's having _another_ baby and Dad hasn't paid any attention to her at all like that! Ugh! You make me sick!"

The whole room had frozen. Dad had an "oh shit" look on his face. I swore Mom's eye even twitched. Uh oh. She was going to explode, wasn't she? Sh*******t.

Phaedra looked absolutely terrified. "T-That's not true! I swear to Arceus!"

"So you're a liar, too, huh?" Cory asked quietly.

It felt good to have my brother backing me up here. I was assuming Copal knew too, but I wasn't exactly sure. She had gone for so long I hadn't even remembered I had an older sister.

"How... _dare_... you..." Mom growled, her voice as cold as ice. "We let you into our home, and _this_ is how you repay us? You try... You try to _take_ him from me?"

It hit me like a ton of bricks.

Back in the Pokemon Tower, I had seen a grave that had belonged to my dad. If he really had died... Mom... She would have been _devastated_. It would have _destroyed_ her. She loved him so much, if she somehow lost him... I couldn't bring myself to think of what she would do. Is that what she had meant?

"Topaz—don't go there," Dad said suddenly, his voice gentle but urgent, as he left his desk.

Our parents were keeping secrets from us, weren't they?

Mom let out a bitter laugh, her face contorted in a pained grimace. "Too late." She shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut.

Seeing my mom like this... kind of scared me. I looked over at Carnelian; her red eyes were wide with shock. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I realized Cory had walked over to us.

Dad sighed heavily, having reached Mom. "Come on, love. You need to relax. That's why we're on this cruise." He put his hands on her shoulders, gently pushing her forward, steering her out of the room. He didn't say anything to the rest of us, or even acknowledge us.

"...Did... something... _happen_?" Cory asked, his red eyes swimming with confusion. "M-Mom... I've never seen her like that before..."

It was... startling.

My whole life, for all my thirteen years, I had seen my mother as a strong, independent woman. Yeah, I hated being compared to her, but those were qualities I wanted to possess. She always had the answer, always had the plan. She could be stern at times, but she could also be a kind, caring, gentle person. But I had never imagined—who would?—that beneath all that, she was... weak, vulnerable, _broken_...

It was like I had had an epiphany...

"They're hiding something from us, aren't they?" Carne demanded with agitation.

My mom... was not the woman I thought she was. She was not the woman I aspired to be like, no matter how much I hated being compared to her.

Phaedra cleared her throat. "You'll have to excuse me..." Without another word, she hurried out of the room.

The loud, obnoxious clacking of her heels helped me snap out of my shocked daze, bringing me back to reality. I stood there for a moment before looking at my twin brother and distant cousin.

"...What was it that you needed me for?" Cory asked, abruptly changing the subject.

"Oh!" I exclaimed, remembering why I came here in the first place. "Uh, well, the cruise is holding a tournament, with battles and contests. But y'need a partner to enter, so I was thinking you could team up with me..."

"Oh, sure!" he exclaimed with a bright smile. "I would love to! It'll be really fun!"

I grinned. "Awesome! Thanks, bro!"

Carne sighed, obviously thinking about other things. "Something's going on..."

We both turned to look at her. She was frowning, her brow furrowed in deep thought.

"What do you mean, Carne?" Cory asked.

"I dunno..." She shrugged. "But after your parents' actions... I have to wonder... what really happened back then. And what's happening now..."

"We could always just ask," I said very matter-of-factually.

"Are you _crazy_?!" she demanded, whirling on me. "You saw what happened to your mom! She nearly had a _breakdown_ in front of _everyone_!"

I flinched back from her outburst. Jeez...

"She has a point," Cory noted. "But then who would we ask?"

"Hmmmm..." I tapped my chin in thought. "Y'think Navy and Safaia would spill? I doubt Grey or Fiori would say anything. They're just as touchy about the war as our parents. And, um, I don't really want to talk to Aunt Cerise and Uncle Shirou right now..."

Not after I broke their daughter's nose.

"Maybe," Carne relented, relaxing. "Or Jade and Plato might be better choices."

"I don't know about that," said Cory, looking skeptical. "Aunt Jade is pretty close to mom..."

I let out a frustrated sigh. "F*ck it. I'm asking Mom."

"Amber!" my brother gasped, his eyes widening. "Are you sure?!"

I didn't answer his question, because if I did, I wouldn't be so sure of myself. "Why don't you and Carne go ask Navy and Safaia?" I proposed. "We can report to each other afterward."

He sighed. "Fine... Just choose your words wisely, okay?"

I nodded. "Of course! C'mon, let's go!"

...

_(Galena's POV)_

"They're hopeless!" I exclaimed in exasperation.

After snagging Lyric and Quartz for the day, I had employed them to help me with my ship spying. I had decided to make Cherry my target of the day. And so far, there had been no progress at all whatsoever.

"You honestly think something'll happen in that short of a time period?" Lyric asked dryly.

"Um... Carmine's too... er... into Pyrite, you know," Quartz said slowly.

"Argh! Don't remind me!" I huffed.

I peered around the corner we were hiding behind. Carmine was sitting at a table with the triplets, between Aurum and Xenon. They were all just talking, drinking smoothies. Every once in a while, she would laugh at something one of the boys said.

Lyric sighed heavily from where she was standing behind me. "This is boring..."

"Oh, shush!" I chided, still watching. "You'll understand someday!"

Quartz sighed, too. "I wanted to spend time with Cory today..."

"This ship is more urgent!" I cried.

"W-What?!"

I looked back briefly to see that her face was flushed and she couldn't make eye contact with me. Lyric just rolled her eyes. I turned back around to watch the four of them.

"...What are you guys doing?"

Quartz nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of her cousin's voice. I was startled, while Lyric didn't seem bothered at all. Pyrite was eying us suspiciously, like we were up to no good. And I couldn't promise that we weren't.

"Nothing~!" I answered in a sing-song voice. "What about you?"

"Just walking around," he sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Thinking." Then he added, "...Avoiding Brooke."

"Oh dear," Quartz sighed.

"Didn't Amber say she'd take care of it if Brooke bothered you again?" I asked curiously.

"Yeah, but... I don't want to deal with her right now." He grimaced.

Oh no! Was my ship in peril?!

"Can't blame you," Lyric snorted, crossing her arms over her chest. "Girl seems like a total b*tch."

"...She's not always like that," Pyrite retorted, a faint, dangerous edge to his voice. "And that's not the reason."

Ooooh, hehe, I bet I knew why then! It was so obvious! I almost giggled out loud.

"I wish she'd stop too," Quartz sighed again before realizing what she said. "Oh, I mean Brooke. How did she even get like that? It's unhealthy."

"Res-Fiction, duh!" I exclaimed like it was a no brainer.

Pyrite eyes widened with horror. "That still exists?!"

I nodded, smirking playfully. "Yup! And fans are stiiiiill writing! There's been an influx of Aceshipping lately, hmmm... Probably because—oh..." I frowned. "Your dad's birthday was in July, wasn't it?"

His expression soured. "Yeah, it was. Mom still celebrates it even though he's been gone for years. That's... when it pains her the most, I think. I hate seeing her like that..."

Quartz sighed some more, lowering her eyes. "Mommy gets down too... They were brother and sister, after all. But I wish they would tell us more about Uncle Am."

"You're talking about the leader of the Resistance, right?" Lyric asked.

Pyrite nodded solemnly. "Yeah. He... was my father. And Quartz's uncle."

Lyric frowned. "...That... sucks," she said after a moment. "It must be rough..."

Pyrite sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. "It's nothing new. I'm used to it."

I... felt really bad for the Kimus.

...

_(Amber's POV)_

I waited a few hours before searching out my mother. I wanted to give her some time to calm down, you know? I found her in her room, alone except for her shiny pikachu, Raiden. She was sitting on the bed with him, reading a book. I was hesitant to interrupt her; they looked so peaceful. But I didn't even get a chance to make up my mind.

"What is it, Amber?" she asked, not even looking up, once again the calm, strong woman I knew.

Holy sh*t, how did she even know I was there?!

"Um... Well..." I hesitated again for a moment, stepping inside the room. "I want to know the truth, Mom. The truth about the War."

Her eyes widened as Raiden abruptly pushed himself up into a sitting position, his ears twitching.

"Why... do you want to know _that_ of all things?" she asked slowly, like she was recovering from a blow.

There was no way I was going to tell her what I saw—not after her reaction earlier. No way in hell.

"You're keeping secrets from us," I said instead. "I _know_ you are! Team Rocket has a connection to the Government. We need to know the truth about the War, Mom. Something more than what they teach us in school."

My mother let out a tired, heavy sigh, closing her eyes, like she was already drained. "That's something I'm trying to forget."

I could already see how this pained her... but I _had_ to know. I couldn't go on like this in the dark.

"Mom, _please_," I begged. "What's so horrible that you don't want us to know?"

Her eyes shot open, and she looked at me. "You're too young."

Oh, for the love of-

"My childhood—what was left of it, anyway—was _stolen_ from me. It was stolen from all of us. Your father, especially. And _Grey_. I can't forget what happened to Grey..."

Raiden leaped up onto her lap, and I stayed silent. Was she telling me, then? I was kind of confused. Mom looked down at her pikachu.

"I suppose I could tell you some things," she relented, reaching out to scratch the pikachu behind his ear. "Close the door and sit down."

I moved back to shut the door, and then quietly sat down on the bed across from her just like she told me to. Mom suddenly looked old, like she had aged years just from being forced to recall this. Raiden's scar glared at me ominously. Would I finally learn its story?

"It all started twenty years ago, when I was just fifteen," she began, not moving her eyes from her pikachu. "I moved from Goldenrod City in Johto to Twinleaf Town in Sinnoh with my family. There, I met your father, Jade, Plato, Viola, and Diamonda."

Wow... That was a f*cking long time!

"I met Raiden there, too," she continued. "He was my first pokemon. Oh, and Grey was my childhood friend from Golderod. We grew up together."

I frowned, confused. "But I thought Grey was from Nuvema Town in Unova."

"...He is," she answered after a moment. "They... moved to Goldenrod when he was young."

"But Unova was free-"

"I know," she replied, almost snapping at me. "Never mind that. Just _listen_."

I shut my mouth. What else in this story wouldn't make any sense?

"Eventually, we had to run away," she continued once more. "My mother found out about Raiden and made me choose between pokemon and family. Of course, I chose pokemon."

Even to this day, my mom's side of the family were estranged with us. Well, except for Uncle Timothy; he lived in Unova with his wife Raven—who was a member of the Elite Four there—and their three children, Ronne, Vasco, and Atarah. Her parents _tried_ to mend ways, but Mom wouldn't have it; I had no idea why, though. I had only seen my maternal grandparents twice in my whole life, both times when I was pretty young and barely remembered them.

"So we traveled to Mount Silver, and on the way we met... Amethyst... Gold, Sapph, Safaia, and Scarlet. We joined the Resistance, and began our training. Nothing was too serious yet."

I wondered what that would have been like—being in the Resistance, in a world where pokemon were considered vicious, man-eating monsters. I... wouldn't be able to stand it.

"The turning point had to be the bombing of Mount Silver. It was awful... So many people and pokemon died. Our current High Commander, a man named Jethro Tibbs... was incapacitated... so his adopted son, Amethyst, took over. But he was in Unova with Diamonda on their honeymoon. So we gathered the remnants of the Resistance and traveled there on foot. Grey and I were appointed generals."

"How old were you then?" I asked curiously.

"Seventeen," she told me. "Grey was almost eighteen."

Wow... I knew they had been young, but actually hearing it from her own lips made it more... real.

"Unova agreed to help us," she stated quietly. "Thanks to Shirou and Alan. But those were... dark times for me... and your father."

Something told me I didn't want to know.

Raiden let out a low growl. _"Bast**ds.."_

"The War finally began to accelerate... Many people died. The Government was ruthless. Especially _Synis_."

She said the president's name with such _malice_, such _loathing_, such _rage_, it nearly shocked me sh*tless. She really hated him, didn't she? But why? What did he do to her?

Raiden let out another growl, his red cheek pouches sparking dangerously. Juno leaped down from my shoulder, giving her father a confused look.

Mom scowled. "Everything that ever happened... it was all thanks to him. That bast**d started it all."

"_He gave me this d*mn scar,"_ Raiden snarled, baring his tiny little fangs. _"__Well, his f*cking nidoking did. Son of a-"_

"Raiden, that's enough!" Mom snapped.

The orange pikachu huffed. _"Sorry..."_

"You fought _Synis_?!" I gasped, my eyes widening.

She nodded solemnly. "Several times. I had... a _personal_ vendetta with him. And in the end, I was the one who killed him."

...

I just stared at her. My mother, Topaz Rosso-Senri, _killed_ the _president of the Government_?! Obsidian Synis?! He died by her own hands?! They didn't teach _that_ in school! I almost couldn't believe it.

"_Hell yeah!"_ Raiden crowed, balling his tiny paws into fists. _"__After what he did to us... He f*cking had it coming to him!"_

Juno was just as speechless as I was.

Mom let out a bitter laugh. "He was insane."

Something told me my mom wasn't exactly sane either...

"Why... is that... a _secret_?!" I demanded, snapping out of my daze. "You're a hero!"

"No, I'm not." She said it with such desolation... It was like the weak woman from before was sneaking back. "I'm far from it."

I just stared at her; I hadn't expected her to say something like that. She had always been portrayed as a heroic figure to me, especially in school when we learned about the War. She met my gaze, her orange eyes looking into mine.

"Amber, I've done things I'm not proud of. Things that would disgust you. Things that disgust _me_. Back then, I didn't care. The means didn't matter. The lives of strangers meant nothing to me. In the second half of the War, after..." She stopped, shaking her head slowly. "I just wanted to make Synis pay."

My mother... truly was not the woman I thought she was. I didn't know how I felt about this. Was I disappointed? I wasn't sure.

I looked down, focusing my gaze on the stripes on Juno's back. "Make him pay for what?" I asked quietly.

"I had to make him pay for taking away the one person who means everything to me."

...

I _had_ to solve this mystery.

I was pacing back and forth, Cory and Carne watching me from the table they were sitting at. I was thinking, trying to figure this out. There were way too many loop holes, too many things that made no sense. There was a lot more to the War than they were telling us.

"Amber, calm down," said Cory. "The world isn't going to end just because we don't know the whole story."

"This is serious!" I cried, throwing up my arms. "Something really important is missing!"

And I would bet my own _pokemon_ that it had something to do with our dad.

"We have plenty of time to figure this out," Carne sighed as she put her bright crimson hair up into a bun. "Relax."

"No, no, no! This is driving me crazy!" I snapped, putting my hands on my hips. "There's too much we don't know! We don't know _sh*t_. The Rocket admins are proof enough!"

"...She does have a point," Cory muttered.

"Like hell I do!" I huffed. "D*mmit, this is so frustrating! I want some f*cking _answers_!"

"Okay, so you wanna know about the admins first?" Carne asked with another sigh, turning to me. "Flax Ama, Mauve Murasaki, Azo Orenji, and Pink Mazenta?"

"Murasaki?!" Cory gasped, his eyes widening. "As in Aunt Viola's maiden name?!"

"I don't think they're related..." Carne said slowly.

"They better not be," I grumbled. "Okay, so what do you know about them?"

"Not much," she sighed, standing up. "But my dad has told me some of the things he knows. Like Flax Ama's _thing_ for women and Mauve Murasaki and Pink Mazenta's... _prolific_ lives."

"He told you that?!" Cory gasped, scandalized.

Carne shook her head. "Sorta... Not directly. But Mom made some snide comment about them so I figured..."

I made a face. Why were the bad guys always so... _bad_?

"Okay, so here's the plan," I said after a moment. "We're going to find out as much as we can about the Government. Even if it means asking the Team Rocket admins. Then we'll start on the Resistance."

"All right," Cory said, nodding. "I'll do my part! Should we ask the others for help?"

"Dodge may know something," Carne offered. "Pyrite would _probably_ be interested since it involves his dad. I would say Quartz too, but it may be too much for her to handle. I think that's it, really."

"Okay, so I'll ask them if they want in," I agreed. "Oh! Do y'think Cade might know something? He was alive then, wasn't he?"

"I never thought of that!" Cory exclaimed. "He had to be really young, but it doesn't hurt to try! Let's go ask Cade first!"

...

We found Cade lounging around with Finn, which wasn't much of a surprise. I know it had been my idea, but I suddenly felt awkward. Finn was my cousin, but Cade wasn't. And he was so much older than me, an adult. Even with my brother with me, I was suddenly overwhelmed with anxiety. It wasn't helping that my hormones had been going haywire lately. Cade was f*cking hot, okay?

Carne, however, had no problem walking up to the two boys and saying, "Hey guys!"

"Heeeeey, Carne," Finn returned, cheerful as ever. "What's up?"

Cade tossed a goldeen cracker into his mouth. "You need something?"

I need you to—whoa, where was that train of thought gonna go?!

"D*mmit," I growled. "Aurum's infected my brain!"

"Wha...?" Cory asked, blinking in confusion.

Carne slapped her forehead. "Oh Arceus."

"Pffffft," Finn scoffed. "Cuz, when you're surrounded by Kimus, it just happens."

"Hey!" Cade cried. "I take offense to that!"

Finn laughed. "I'm kidding, mate, I'm kidding! Though the way you and Cinthy've been-"

"Shut up!" he hissed, smacking Finn on the arm. "Not in front of the kids! Dude, Carne's _twelve_. D*mmit, what's _wrong_ with you?"

Carne and I grimaced.

"What about Hyacinth?" Cory asked, oblivious as always.

"Oi, this bloke here's dating her," Finn replied. "Eh... for how long now?"

"Two years," Cade sighed. "And sixth months."

Cory's eyes widened. "Wow! That's a really long time!"

"Impressive," Carne noted. "So you _don't_ take after your dad when it comes to women."

"...What's that supposed to mean?" I asked.

Cade slapped his forehead. "Dear Arceus... Where'd you hear that?"

"My mom," she snorted. "She likes to gossip way too much, jeez. She said your dad dated her, then Amber and Cory's mom, some other girl, and then finally his wife."

"WHAT?!" I shrieked. "Mom went out with Grey _f*cking_ Kuro?!"

Cory looked equally shocked, but a bit more on the disturbed side.

Cade winced. "Yup..." He let out a strained laugh. "They were best friends before that. It's not a big deal."

"NOT A BIG DEAL?!"

"Oh jeez," Carne sighed. "Look what I started. Arceus."

Finn laughed. "Chill, Ambs. You shouldn't be surprised. It's not like everyone finds their better half the first time around."

Cade nodded. "Yeah!"

...I realized how off topic we had gotten. D*mmit, this always happened.

"Um... Anyways! We need to ask you two something," I said, speaking hastily at first.

"Oh? Shoot away, cuz!" said Finn.

"Do you know anything about the Government?" I asked slowly.

Both boys froze. Cade even paled. That told me they definitely knew something.

"Well... It depends on what you wanna know," Cade relented. "I don't remember much because I was so young. But I do know more than most."

"Do you know anything about the admins?" Carne asked.

He grimaced, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah... Man, do you _really_ wanna know about them?"

"We need to know the truth, Cade," I said firmly, finally having gotten a grip on myself. "Team Rocket's connected to the Government somehow. And the adults are hiding stuff from us. _Please_, Cade! You gotta tell us!"

He sighed. "Okay, okay. But... this isn't pretty. I dunno if I should even be telling you right now because you're so young..."

"Pleeeeeeease!" I pleaded, clasping my hands together in front of me. "Pretty please with sugar on top!"

"It's not like we haven't heard this kind of thing before," Carne grumbled.

"Just tell 'em, mate," Finn said with a chuckle. "They're not gonna give up easily."

Cade sighed louder. "Fine, fine. All right. The Government had several admins ranked right under the president to do the dirty work against the leaders of the Resistance. Their names were Flax Ama, Mauve Murasaki, Azo Orenji, and Pink Mazenta. Though, to be honest, I think there were more. I don't know who they were, though."

"I get the same feeling," Finn said with a nod. "But there's no way to prove it right now."

Cade nodded, too. "Ama was the leader, I believe. He wasn't the oldest, but he was chosen by Synis for the position. Ama... from what I hear... was a complete _monster_. He did... some pretty bad stuff. Not saying what, though."

"So we've heard," said Carne, crossing her arms over her chest.

Finn scowled. "Don't talk about it, mate."

"...Sorry," Cade replied, looking a bit awkward. "Anyways, Ama specialized in Electric types, and his trademark pokemon was a shiny raichu. He was by far the strongest admin."

Hmmmm... Good thing that bast**d was long dead and gone.

"Mauve Murasaki was the second-in-command, but I'm not exactly sure if I'm right," Cade continued slowly. "I don't know much about her, just that she specialized in Poison types and was... uh... h-how do I put this?"

"Mate," said Finn. "Viola told us. She was a dominatrix."

...What the actual _f*ck_?!

Carne slapped her forehead, while Cory looked completely clueless.

"What's a 'dominatrix'?" he asked innocently.

"...I am so done," Cade groaned.

Finn looked like he was holding back laughter. "Cuz, now is not the time."

"Time for what?"

We all nearly jumped out of our skin. It was none other than Arylide Kuro, with my dear older sister and Coral Kimu.

"Well... We're educating here?" Finn offered.

"Educating on what?" Copal demanded, putting her hands on her hips, giving both boys scrutinizing looks.

"...About the Government's admins," Cade deadpanned. "Chill, Copal, we're not like Aryl here."

"Hey!" the said girl exclaimed, huffing. "Look, I wasn't even _thinking_ you'd teach 'em something pervy! That's all Copal-chan!"

"S-Shut up!" my sister snapped, flushing.

Coral sighed. "The admins...? Why do you want to know about them?"

"Team Rocket's admins," was all I had to say.

"Oh... Yes..." She lowered her red gaze. "It's... rather... _disturbing_." Then she gave her two friends a dry, irritated look. "Will you two stop bickering?"

Wait, I thought they made up? Or was it just something silly? Copal blushed more furiously, while Aryl just laughed. Was something going on here? Did I even want to know? My sister did tell me that one thing...

Nope, not gonna think about it.

"Sorry," Aryl said, now smirking playfully. "So, you wanna know about the admins, huh? _Well_, back in the day, when I was training with my dad in Unova, I managed to weasel some info out of him!"

"You did?!" Copal gasped, her eyes widening.

She nodded, crossing her arms over her chest. "Yup! He told me that the admins were _kidnapped_ as little kids! And Synis—that bast**d raised them himself!"

"WHAT?!" we all gasped.

"That's... That's _awful_," Coral breathed, eyes wide with horror. "No wonder they were so troubled..."

"That does explain a lot," Finn agreed grimly. "And I'm not that surprised either."

"Ditto," said Cade with another sigh. "We all know that Synis was a psychopath."

"There has to be a reason why," Copal murmured, looking down.

"Who gives a sh*t?" Aryl scoffed. "He's still a psycho bast**d who nearly led the world to ruin. And now he's rotting in the deepest pits of hell for it."

I had to agree with Aryl on this.

Copal sighed, folding her arms around her. "I know, but... I can't help but wonder."

"Well, that's understandable," said Cade. "I'm sure he did have some kind of motive. But we'll probably never know now that he's dead."

"I think it's better that way," said Finn. "I'd rather not know about all the atrocities committed during the War."

"I agree," Coral said softly.

We all grew quiet then. I didn't really know what to say after that.

"Okay, okay," I said. "Never mind then... I'll find out on my own." I turned to go.

"Amber!" my sister exclaimed. "Don't get too nosy. This is serious business we're talking about here. Now especially with Team Rocket around. Be careful."

"I know," I replied stiffly. "Don't worry 'bout me. I can take care of myself."

I headed off then.

I had managed to get some info on two of the Government's admins. I had also gotten some vague info from my mom about the War itself. How hard would be it be to find out more?

There was only one way to find out.

* * *

><p><strong>WELL<strong>

**Not very eventful, but this chapter was chockfull of information! And a bit short...**

**Curious, huh? The kids have a bit of a mystery on their hands. Amber isn't about to let it go.**

**Okay, you're probably wonder who Mauve Murasaki and Azo Orenji are! In FTA (the FT remake), I've added two new admins, and that's who they are! **

**Moving on, Amber has reached yet ANOTHER crisis: her mom isn't who she thought she is. What's up with Topaz? Well, you probably can guess if you've read all of Forevermore, and you'll find out more later on in Evermore. **

**That's all for now!**

**REVIEWS ARE LOVE AS ALWAYS**


	20. 18: Gyarados Still Raging

**EVERMORE**

**~Sequel Of The Forever Trilogy~**

**Chapter 18**

**Gyarados Still Raging**

_Saturday, September 11, 5018._

_(Snow's POV)_

"Pleeeeeeeease!" Carmine pleaded with me for the millionth time. "You _have_ to help me!"

"No," I deadpanned.

Carmine was a very good friend of mine, if not my best friend. So, I cared a lot about her. And right now, it was like she was a totally different person. I had no idea what caused it, but she was driving me _insane_, and it was bad enough already since I had to deal with everyone's emotions.

"Come on," she whined childishly. "You're, like, an expert on this stuff!"

"No."

"Why _not_?" she huffed like the querulous brat she was really turning out to be.

"Because you're being ridiculous," I deadpanned. "Move on already. Even if I wanted to help, there's nothing I can do."

She pouted, slumping in her chair. "You're such a meanie, Snow."

I slapped my forehead. "Can we do something _fun_ today? Arceus, we're on a freaking _cruise_."

"...I don't want to swim," she said quietly, staring at her hands.

Carmine had always had low self-esteem. I had no idea why at first; I personally thought she was one of the most beautiful girls I knew. But she had finally spilled last year—Carmine was convinced that she was undesirable just because of her lack of curves. She had a flat chest and narrow hips, which made no sense with her genetics—she must have gotten the recessive genes or something. I thought it was ridiculous. There was absolutely nothing wrong with that.

So the other day, that wonderful day at the pool, she had been majorly embarrassed. She foolishly compared herself to the other girls—especially her cousin, whom she already had a vendetta with.

"I never said I wanted to go swimming," I responded calmly. "There're tennis courts somewhere. We can play that, or do something with our pokemon."

She looked up, staring at her tall, empty smoothie glass, reaching forward to wrap her hands around the base. "Tennis-"

"Snow!"

I looked over to see that it was Amber, who was dressed in a full length tank top and jeans short-shorts; with her parents around, she wouldn't dare wear her preferred cropped shirts. Juno was perched on her shoulder as always. I could feel a slight wariness from her, but her determination was winning. She halted in front of us, putting her hands on her hips.

"Yo," I greeted her. "What's up?"

"I need your help with something," she said, briefly glancing at Carmine, who had tensed with building animosity.

Oh lovely. "I ain't helping you with your future boytoy if that's what you're going to ask."

She stared at me for a moment, and then her face flushed bright red. "W-What? Why the hell would I ask that?! I don't need your d*mn help! N-Not that there's anything going on! F*ck, we're just friends!"

I hadn't even mentioned a name and she went off! I smirked knowingly. Sure, Ambs, sure. And your emotions totally don't give me headaches.

She pinched the bridge of her nose. "D*mmit, you got me off topic! Look, I'm trying to find out more about the War and I was wondering if I could talk to your dad."

Oh, so that was it? "Then just go talk to him," I said. "You don't need my permission."

"I don't want to go _alone_!" she exclaimed adamantly, making a face. "That would be so f*cking weird!"

Carmine rolled her eyes. "Uncle Alan doesn't bite. Don't be such a wuss."

...And here it came.

"Don't call me that!" Amber snapped, her temper flaring. "You've grown up with him! I haven't!"

"So?" Carmine countered. "Grey doesn't scare me!"

"That's because, deep down inside, Grey is as sweet and cuddly as a teddiursa bear," I declared, hoping to ease the tension between them before it gave me a headache.

Amber stared at me before bursting into snickers. "Pffffffft!"

"And that is why he has so many kids," I finished with a smirk.

"Snow!" Carmine gasped, her red eyes wide.

I snickered. "Not sorry."

I thought Amber must have missed my first comment because she was still laughing. "Just... _Grey_... as a _teddiursa bear_... Bahahahahahaha!"

Mission accomplished.

"All right, all right, I'll go with you to talk with my dad," I said.

Amber managed to recover from her laughing fit. "Thanks! Can we go now then?"

"Sure," I said, getting up from my chair. "He should be on the front deck. Follow me." I paused. "You coming, Carmine?"

She nodded after hesitating slightly. "Yeah."

So, I led the way through the ship, heading for the front deck. The sun was shining, making it warmer than normal for September. Just like I thought, my dad was standing to the side, near the ledge that lined the whole ship, talking with my mom in a low voice.

"Dad!" I called. "Mom!"

They both looked toward us. Dad had his sunglasses on, and Mom's hair was piled on top of her head in a messy bun. We stopped in front of them, each girl on the other side of me.

"Ambs here has a question for you, Dad," I told him.

Dad sighed, pushing up his shades in a fashion similar to Dodge's. "I can't battle you, kid. Not yet, anyways."

"That's not what I'm gonna ask!" she cried. "I don't only think about battling... I want to know about the Government!"

Dad froze, while Mom's eyes widened. Why was it such a surprise?

"Why do you want to know about _them_?" Dad demanded, sounding angry and getting there. "Nothing good comes out of the Government."

"It doesn't matter now, anyways," said Mom, a bit worried. "So please stay out of it."

…

_(Amber's POV)_

"It's hopeless," I sighed, staring at the smoothie that Pyrite had bought me when he had bumped into me in a foul mood. "Nobody's going to tell us jack sh*t."

"Well... There's always the admins," Pyrite said, trying to sound reassuring.

I looked up at him, scowling a bit. "Those a**holes? I guess. But who do y'think would spill?"

He pondered for a moment. "I'd say Altan or Kaito are the best bets. They seem to be the friendliest."

I scrunched up my nose, remembering the comment that Kaito had made on me. That had made me so mad. Now it was just really awkward and embarrassing to think about.

"Yeah," I grumbled. "Kaito _sure_ was friendly."

He gave me a dry look. "It could have been worse."

I huffed, leaning forward to take a sip of my smoothie. "Whatever." I sat back, and pulled out my Pokegear to check the time. "I gotta meet up with Cory for a bit to start training for the tournament. We're doing battles first."

"Have fun with that," he snorted. "Your brother hates battling so much."

"I know," I groaned. "His pokemon are probably really weak. Might have to target other trainers on the cruise since there's no wild pokemon around."

"Well, strategy might be the best place to start," he noted. "I can help you with that, if you'd like."

I gasped. "Really?! Okay, we're meeting in Gym Three. You should change into something fit for working out. I gotta do that now." I stood up, grabbing my smoothie, and flashed him a grin. "Thank you _soooooo_ much, Ry! This is gonna be so much more fun!"

…

"Welcome to your first training session. I'm Coach Rosso-Senri, and this is my assistant Coach Kimu. We're going to help you get in shape!"

Cory gave me a weird look. "What are you _doing_?!"

The gym was like a simple pokemon gym, with some weights and machines, too. I was standing with my hands on my hips, in front of my brother, with Pyrite next to me. Juno was perched on my shoulder.

"Hey!" I barked. "Just go with it, okay?!"

He sighed. "You're so melodramatic."

Pyrite shifted on his feet. "So what are we doing first, Coach?"

"See!" I exclaimed, gesturing to him. "Ry's doing it!"

Cory slapped his forehead. "Can we just get this over with?"

I sighed. "Okay, okay. The reason we're all dressed like this is because of something important that Aryl taught me—if you're going to train your pokemon, it's only fair if you train yourself too."

"_It's really fun, too,"_ Juno added.

"That's not a bad idea," Pyrite said thoughtfully. "But how would you do it?"

"Depends on what pokemon you're working with," I said, looking over at him. "I run with Juno and Mars. I do jumping jacks with Diana. Ceres likes to practice boxing. Jupiter's kinda lazy, though, so he doesn't really like to do anything."

Jupiter mainly like to practice his fire techniques, and there wasn't much I could do with that.

"I don't know about this..." Cory muttered.

"C'mon!" I exclaimed. "It'll be fun! And maybe if you're tougher you'll catch a certain someone's eye!" I winked at him.

"B-Be quiet!" he stammered, blushing.

I laughed. "Just messing with ya, Cory! We'll start off easy, okay?"

…

"Your marshtomp can't even knock out my typhlosion," Pyrite deadpanned.

Cory had decided to work with his starter. So Ry sent out Ex. But Jojo barely made a dent in the typhlosion's HP. It was really sad.

"To be honest... I've only been using rare candies on my pokemon," Cory admitted with a sigh. "To level them up without battling..."

I slapped my forehead and groaned. Jojo whimpered and Ex let out a low grumble. Juno tried to give the marshtomp a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"...Well, that explains it," said Pyrite.

"I'm sorry..." my brother mumbled, looking down at his feet.

"Don't apologize to me!" I retorted. "Your pokemon are the ones being hurt!" I put my hands on my hips. "Rare candies raise levels, not stats."

"_It'll be okay!"_ Juno told Jojo.

I turned to my assistant. "Ry, we should show Cory a _real_ battle."

He blinked, surprised. "Huh? You want to battle?"

I nodded firmly, grinning. "C'mon, it'll be fun! We haven't battled at all yet!"

He seemed skeptical. "I don't know..."

"What?" I taunted, raising an eyebrow. "You scared of _losing_?"

He gave me a look. "No. _You're_ the one who doesn't take losses very well."

I winced. "T-This is different! We're friends, and nothing's at stake." I fully recovered. "Plus, have you worked with Leviathan at all yet?"

"...No."

"Then this is the perfect chance for you to!" I exclaimed. "C'mon, send him out!"

Pyrite's eyes widened, and he shook his head. "No way! He's too dangerous!"

"But it's been days since he rampaged!" I insisted.

Cory looked back and forth at both of us, his eyes wide.

"I don't really trust him yet..."

"That's no good!" I declared, shaking my head. "What kind of team will you have if there's no trust? C'mon, Ry, let him out!"

"No," he snapped, glaring at me.

I puffed out my cheeks, glaring right back at him. "Why're you being so difficult? Ugh, f*ck it. I'll do it myself."

Pyrite looked horrified. "No—don't!"

I bounded over to where our bags sat, with Pyrite right behind me. I opened his backpack, and pulled out the ultra ball. Pyrite almost snatched it from me, but I pushed the button to release the pokemon just in time. With a bright light, the gyarados materialized before us in the open gym.

"You idiot!" Pyrite snapped, taking the device from me. "Leviathan-"

The gyarados lifted his head and let loose a furious roar that shook the room, and probably the whole ship. Cory whipped around to face the pokemon, his eyes even wider, if that was possible. Juno scampered back to me and leaped up onto my shoulder, while Jojo was frozen with fear.

...I should have listened to Ry, shouldn't I have?

Pyrite lifted the ultra ball to return his gyarados. But Leviathan swung his tail, hitting his trainer so hard that he went flying out the door.

"RY!" I screamed in fear, running out the door after him.

"Oh my Arceus!" I heard Cory cry behind me.

When I got outside, to much of my horror, Pyrite was nowhere to be seen. Did he go overboard?! I ran over to the edge, peering over the safety ledge. I saw nothing but rippling, foaming water.

"Oh my Arceus!" I cried, panicking. "Ry! Arceusd*mmit, where _are_ you?!"

I heard an angry rumble behind me—Ex. I turned around at the sound of my name.

"Leviathan's going to rampage!" Cory yelled, looking scared. "I'm going to get help! Try to contain him!"

He ran off with Jojo before I could respond. D*mmit, I needed to find Ry, not fight that thing! If something... If something _happened_ to him because of my stupidity...

"D*mmit," I growled, slamming my fist on the ledge. "My bag's in there! And I'm such an idiot! Ry may be... H-He may be..."

Ex snarled, flames exploding from his shoulders. _"Get yourself together, gurl! I'll get the bag!"_

Juno leaped down suddenly. "I'll cover you!"

The typhlosion nodded, and then the two pokemon headed in before I could process what happened. But then I head a loud gasp and splashing water from below. I whipped back around, leaning over the edge to look down.

"Pyrite!" I cried, calling down to him. "Are you okay?!"

He looked up at me, absolutely drenched, his dark bangs plastered to his forehead. "What do you _think_?!"

He sounded really p*ssed off. I didn't blame him...

"I'm so sorry!" I cried, tears pricking in my eyes. "I-"

Something hit me from behind, knocking me over the safety ledge as pain exploded through my back. I heard an unfamiliar roar, and light blasted behind me. I was falling, and then something caught me—something large with scaly skin. I looked up, and gasped.

Jupiter had evolved.

A massive charizard with shiny black scales and bright red eyes firmly carried me back to the deck, flapping his powerful black and red wings.

I saw Juno press the button of another poke ball, and Diana appeared. _"I'll get Pyrite!"_

Jupiter dropped to the ground, releasing me. Juno jumped into action, letting out a Thunderbolt, but the gyarados avoided it. Ex shot a Flamethrower, and it hit, but its damage was halved due to the fact that water types were strong against fire. Suddenly, Ex dumped my bag down in front of me after the attack. Jupiter leaped back into the air, and slammed into Leviathan head on, trying to push him back. Juno fired another Thunderbolt, and this time it hit.

"_H-Help me...!"_

I whipped around to see Diana trying to haul up Pyrite. I quickly grabbed both of his hands and tried to help Diana pull him up over the edge. He was heavy, and I almost fell down from pulling so hard. Diana managed to weaken his fall over the ledge by collapsing on the deck herself.

"Pyrite!" I cried, trying to help him up by putting my hands on his shoulders and pushing. He was dripping with seawater but I didn't care that I was getting wet. "Are you hurt somewhere?! I'm so sorry, oh my Arceus! This is all my fault...! I... I..."

I could feel the tears filling my eyes. If something _happened_ to him...

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" I wailed, throwing my arms around his neck and bursting into tears.

"Ow," Pyrite groaned. "You're... hurting me..."

"W-Where?" I asked, opening my eyes but not letting go.

"My back," he answered, probably wincing.

I moved my hands so that I was still hugging him, but touching his back instead. Without a word, I healed his bruises, feeling a drain of energy and a wave of fatigue.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered, pressing my face into his shoulder. "I should've... I should've listened to you..."

I was so tired... I needed to sleep... My eyes began to droop...

"H-Hey..." I think he was saying. "Everything's okay now..."

I closed my eyes, a faint smile tugging at my lips. I... liked... this...

A fierce roar shook around us, snapping me awake a bit and blasting us with hot, damp air. Blinking blearily, I looked behind me to see Leviathan lunging at us, Juno and Jupiter powerless to stop him. He was going to-

A bright, blinding red beam shot across the deck, slamming into the gyarados and knocking him all the way off the ship. Water exploded everywhere from where he landed, and we were sprayed. Another gyarados flew by—Neptune?!

Sh*t, Mom was coming! I somehow managed to pull away from Pyrite, and stumbled to my feet. Water splashed everywhere as the two gyarados wrestled in the ocean. I helped Pyrite up, trying to ignore the heat that was flooding my face. Mom appeared right as Neptune managed to wrap himself around Leviathan, holding the younger serpent in place. I noticed that Leviathan was _larger_ than Neptune. D*mn.

"Don't just stand there!" Mom barked sternly. "Return him!"

Ex reappeared, and ambled over to Pyrite, the gyarados's poke ball in hand, which he gave to his trainer. Without a word, Pyrite walked over to the ledge the pokemon were near and returned his gyarados. I wiped my bleary eyes, desperately trying to stay awake. I felt like I was going to crash any minute. I glanced at Mom; she looked seriously p*ssed off.

"What were you _thinking_?!" she demanded furiously. "That gyarados could have destroyed the whole ship! People could have been _killed_. I thought you knew better than that, Pyrite."

He opened his mouth to respond, but I interrupted; I had to say something. He wasn't going to take the blame for something I had caused.

"It's not his fault," I blurted. "I... I released Leviathan. Not Ry. It was me."

Pyrite was visibly shocked. "Amber-"

"It's my fault," I said, interrupting him again. "You told me not to, but I did anyway. I'm not letting you take the blame for something I did, Ry."

He sighed, looking down. "Thanks..."

Mom, on the other hand, looked even more furious. "First, you break your cousin's nose, then you flip out on your father's assistant and nearly cause her to break down, and now _this_?" She pinched the bridge of her nose. "You've gotten way out of hand. That's it—you're coming home after this cruise. And you're going back to school."

My eyes widened with horror. "What?!"

She looked at me, her eyes like steel. "You can complete your journey when you're more mature. I've had enough of your behavior."

I... was too tired to fight back. So I just nodded, a numb feeling settling over me. Mom said nothing else; she returned Neptune, and then left us, probably to go inform Dad of what had just happened. I let out a loud, tired sigh, wrapping my arms around myself.

"Amber..." Pyrite began.

I shook my head. "I-It's... fine. Probably better this way... I cause so much trouble anyways." I let out a weary, bitter laugh. "I'm just glad you didn't get in trouble." I closed my eyes. "I need... to take a nap. Healing you exhausted me. I'll... see you later."

I dragged myself off, ignoring him when he called my name again.

* * *

><p><strong>Short chapter is short<strong>

**This is mainly just filler and some character development so it's not a big deal**

**I did Snow's POV this time! But you didn't get to see much of her, ahahahaha...**

**I don't have much to say, but the tournament is next chapter, then the ball, a rather important chapter pertaining to a major spoiler, the Nimbasa escapade, and finally the cruise arc is complete! **

**Though you will have to wait and see if Amber will be able to continue her journey...**

**REVIEW**

**Note: I am going through and adding proper days to all the dates in Evermore to make it easier to track and organize the timeline/plotline/passing of time.**


	21. 19: Charizard the Champion

**EVERMORE**

**~Sequel Of The Forever Trilogy~**

**Chapter 19**

**Charizard the Champion**

_Monday, September 12, 5018._

_(Amber's POV)_

I didn't leave my room at all for the rest of the day, but the next day I forced myself to come out of hiding. I felt so awful and stupid. And now I was paying for my stupidity... in the more worst possible way ever.

"What do you mean, you can't travel with us anymore?" Gio asked, confusion in his silver eyes.

I was sitting around a table with everyone for breakfast, including my least favorite person. Apparently Pyrite hadn't told anyone about the incident or its repercussions. I didn't know whether I should be happy or sad about that. Now, I had to be humiliated all over again.

"Exactly what I said," I replied stiffly, staring at my untouched plate of food. "My journey's over. I can't travel anymore. I have to go home."

Gio seemed horrified. "B-But... It won't be the same without you..."

Snow groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Freaking migraines," she muttered.

I couldn't bring myself to look at Gio again. "I'm sorry..."

I felt like I was going to start crying all over again.

"Hey, you still have us, Gio," said Dodge, sounding concerned but still trying to cheer the other boy up. "Ry and me."

"I don't know, Dodge," Pyrite said, sounding skeptically. "There's no real point in me getting any Gym badges... It's not like I'm trying to become the Champion, like Amber."

"No," I blurted, surprising everyone. "Don't you want to find your dad?!"

Pyrite's expression darkened. "Not anymore. I don't need him. Mom doesn't either. If my father ditched us before I was even born, who says he's not going to do it again? There's no point."

I sunk further into my seat. Everyone was looking at me. I just wanted to disappear.

Carmine snorted. "It'll be a lot more fun without _you_ around."

I had no energy to fight with her. But someone else did.

"Leave her alone!" Gio snapped, absolutely p*sssed off. "_You're_ the one who's causing the problems! Amber was perfectly fine before you came along and messed everything up!"

Everyone stared at Gio in shock; no one had expected something like that to come from him. Even me, and I thought I knew him well.

"G-Gio... Don't..." I said. "She's not worth it..."

Now it was Carmine's turn to flip on me.

"_I'm_ not worth it?!" she shrieked, glaring at me fiercely with her red eyes. "Have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately? I'm definitely worth more than _that_! I bet... I bet..." She seemed to be searching for a new insult. "I bet you're not even a _virgin_ anymore!"

...What?

"That's _IT_! I've _HAD_ it with you!"

We were all frozen in shock.

"Carmine, there is a fine line, and you crossed it _ages_ ago," Snow retorted, blue fire in her eyes. "For the love of Arceus, she's _thirteen_! And so are _you_. We need to have a nice, _long_ talk."

"What-"

Snow stood up, and grabbed her by the arm. "You're coming with me. Let's _go_."

We all sat in stunned silence as Snow proceeded to drag Carmine away. I was still trying to process what just happened.

"...What's a virgin?" Gio asked innocently.

Cory made a choking noise. Quartz looked horrified. Both Pyrite and Dodge looked like they wanted to die. Carne looked p*ssed. Denver looked amused. Aurum looked like he was plotting something. Mica was pinching the bridge of his nose. Xenon was holding back laughter. Galena looked shocked. Bronze looked... like Bronze.

"Aha... Ahahahahaha..." I laughed awkwardly before hunching over. "Ugh."

"I-I swear, if Snow doesn't knock some sense into her..." Cory shuddered.

"You never answered my question," Gio said, still confused.

I had never wanted to die so much before in my life.

She just... had such _audacity_ to even suggest that I, at barely thirteen years old, barely a teenager, would have _sex_. That was like... NO. No matter how jacked up my hormones were, and no matter how the hell they made me feel, there was no way in hell that I was going to f*ck _anyone_. NO NO NO NO NO. HELL TO THE F*CKING NO. I didn't even have a _boyfriend_. I didn't even know who I _liked_ half the time.

...That was a total lie.

Part of the reason I got on this cruise was to figure out my feelings—who I liked. Who I might even _love_. And I had figured it out. It was too obvious to ignore anymore.

"I'm _so_ sorry, guys," I sighed.

"It's not your fault, Amber," Pyrite muttered.

My appetite had long since left me. Ignoring my food, I stood up, pushing back my chair. I looked over at my brother.

"You ready to do some more training?" I asked him.

He started a little, and then nodded. "Yeah."

I sighed. "Then let's go."

* * *

><p><em>Tuesday, September 13, 5018. <em>

Cory and I trained our butts off. It was hard for me to find motivation, since I had to go home to Pallet Town after this, but seeing my brother trying so hard helped spur me on. We had to win this—not for me, but for him. He needed to have confidence in battling. And this might be my pokemon's last chance to battle for a long time...

And today was the day.

From what I knew, most of my friends were participating in the tournament. Pyrite and Dodge were teaming up; Galena and Bronze; Denver and Carnelian; even Snow and Carmine. Part of me really did not want to have to go up against them.

"_Let's have fun, okay?"_ Juno told me as I left our room with Carne. _"Make the most of it!"_

Carne looked over at me. "What's she saying?"

"Trying to cheer me up," I replied, unable to fight the smile tugging at my lips. "Let's have fun, okay?"

Carne grinned and nodded. "Yeah! Definitely."

…

The contest came first. It was being modeled after Super Contests, what my sister excelled at. The dress my dad and brother were working on wasn't finished yet, so I had to borrow a dress from their collection. It was simple enough—red with flowing short sleeves that went down a little past my knees. Cory looked rather dashing in his black tuxedo.

"Okay, we've gone over what we do in the first round right?" Cory asked me.

He was in all business mode now; contests were his specialty.

I nodded. "Yup. We dress up our pokemon with accessories."

"Correct!" he exclaimed, nodding too. "You have Diana with you, right?"

"Of course."

"Cory!"

We both turned to see Quartz rushing up to us, holding something behind her back. As she wasn't participating, she was wearing a regular shirt and skirt.

Cory blinked. "Huh? Is something wrong, Quartz?"

I highly doubted that.

"Um, no." She blushed, and suddenly found her shoes more fascinating than our faces. "I just... thought... you'd like something to spice up your tux..."

Cory was still confused. "What-"

She suddenly jerked her hands out from behind her back, holding out a red rose. Cory was obviously started.

"H-Here!" she stammered, blushing even more. "It'll bring out your eyes..."

It was pretty sad that Quartz could make a move before my brother.

"Oh." He took the rose from her. "Thanks, Quartz."

She bowed. "I-It's nothing, Cory..." She stood up straight. "Y-You look pretty, Amber. Um... B-Bye!"

And with that, she scampered away, leaving my behind my very confused twin brother.

"What was that all about?" he asked, turning to me.

I smacked him upside his head. "Idiot! She f*cking _likes_ you, you dumba**!"

"W-What?!" he stammered, his own cheeks tinting pink.

I rolled my eyes, putting my hands on my hips. "We _all_ know you are Quartz like each other. Just man up and make a move already! There's a ball coming up, right? Why don't you ask her to that?"

Still blushing, he looked down. "I-I've been trying... But every time she's with somebody like Grey or Cade or Aryl and they scare me away..."

I gave him a gentle push forward. "Go after her! She's alone now, right? Ask her now! You can do it!"

"Y-You're right!" he agreed, seeming to finally be steeling himself. "I'm going! Wish me luck."

"You won't need it," I reassured him.

He nodded, and without another word, my brother headed off after the girl he loved. I smiled to myself. I wanted Cory to be happy...

I wish I had the courage to ask the boy I liked to the ball...

I sighed, my smile fading, reaching up to adjust the black ribbon around my high ponytail. Today was going to be a long day, although fun.

"Hey, Amber!"

I turned to see Dodge and Pyrite walking up to me. I tried to put that smile back on my face. Somehow, Dodge had managed to get a _blue_ tuxedo, his sunglasses still sitting on top of his head, while Pyrite had the traditional black tux. He had obviously tried to tame his hair as best as he could; his bangs were still floppy and messy as ever. My stomach fluttered just seeing him. _D*mmit. _

"Hi, Dodge," I greeted him. "Hi, Ry. You excited for today?"

Pyrite shrugged. "I guess. It'll be interesting being in a contest, that's for sure."

Dodge made a face. "I much rather battle."

"I heard that there's a style of contest that you battle in," I informed them. "Copal told me."

"Too bad they're not doing that style here," Dodge grumbled.

Pyrite looked down at me. "Amber, can I ask you something?"

"Huh?" My heart skipped a beat. _D*mmit again_. "Sure."

He seemed relieved. "Would you-"

"Amber!"

I yelped, nearly jumping out of my skin. I whipped around to see that it was only Gio. I relaxed, taking a deep breath.

"D*mmit, Gio! Don't do that!" I exclaimed in exasperation "You scared me!"

He smiled sheepishly. "Sorry." He seemed to recall the boys were standing behind me. "Oh, hi Dodge and Pyrite."

I glanced back at them. Dodge didn't seem bothered at all, but Pyrite looked slightly irritated. Well, Gio had interrupted him. Wait, hadn't he been about to ask me something?!

"Amber, remember that promise you made to me?" Gio asked, and I looked back at him. "To make up for what you said to me?"

"...Yeah?" I said, frowning; what did that have to do with anything?

"Well, I've figured out what I want!" he exclaimed happily.

...Sh*t.

He suddenly took my hands into his, and looked me right in the eyes. I felt my cheeks burn. Ugh...

"Will you go to ball with me?" he asked.

_F*CK._

I... I had been hoping that Pyrite would ask me... Since I had no courage to ask him myself... I wanted to figure my feelings out. I wanted to know the truth. I thought going to Pyrite to the ball would enable me to do those things. But now... Gio... the other boy who made me so confused... asked me... using the deal that I had made with him, which meant I could not say no or back out.

Nothing ever went my way...

"Okay, Gio," I said, trying not to sound dejected. "I'll go to the dance with you."

His eyes lit up, and he released me. "Yay! Thank you so much!"

...Well... It couldn't be too bad, right? I mean, Gio was pretty great in his own ways. He was adorable. And really sweet. And I already liked him too much than I should've... Could you even like two people at the same time?

D*mmit.

I turned back to face my other friends. "What were you going to ask me, Ry?"

The only emotion on his face was the irritation in his lovely gold eyes. "Never mind."

"Oh." My face fell. "Okay." I suddenly felt awkward. "Um... I-I need to go over some things with Cory before the contest starts. I-I'll see you guys later."

Before anyone could say anything else, I hurried off to find my twin.

…

Not long after Gio asked me to the ball, the contest began. I had painstakingly practiced dressing up Diana with Cory, and hopefully it would pay off. For the contest, my brother was using Fifi, his vulpix. Even without any accessories on, Fifi looked amazing. It was because my brother gave his pokemon poffins every day. Diana could not match up to that, even though she had gorged on poffins the past few days.

Either way, I did my best to dress up my butterfree. And personally, I thought she looked f*cking awesome.

Having Cory by my side made me feel a lot more confident when we went on stage with the other contestants and all the pokemon. Diana fluttered by my side, while Fifi stood in front of Cory. I saw that Dodge had out Vaporeon, and Ry was going with Blitz. Even though we were opponents, I hoped they did well; same with my other friends.

Apparently, our pokemon got good scores. The next round was dancing. Your pokemon had to match the dance moves of the leader. Honestly, I thought that was kinda stupid. I mean, _really_? Out of all things, you made the poor pokemon _dance_?

But Cory looked like he was having so much fun; it was like he was a totally different person out here. His eyes were full of life. He was always smiling. He even laughed more. He had an aura of confidence about him; his mere presence commanded the attention of the stage. I wondered who he got that from—Dad or Mom? But seeing my twin brother like this, I realized he really was leader material. He had it inside him after all.

Cory amazed me. I wanted to be as strong as him. I always acted so tough and strong... but really... I was the weaker twin.

But that was okay. Because I would get stronger!

Last but not least came the acting round. Our pokemon had to coordinate and show off their moves while complimenting each other. It was a daunting task, but Cory and I had practiced our a**es off for this. Plus, we had the advantage of natural coordination and teamwork from being twins.

It was our turn now.

"All right," said Cory, looking at me. "Are you ready?"

I nodded. "Yeah!"

He smiled. "Don't forget to have fun, Ambs."

I grinned. "Of freaking course!"

"Then let's show them how it's done Rosso-Senri style!"

…

We did our best while having fun. I had no regrets. I enjoyed watching my friends perform, too. Everyone looked so happy, and that made me happier.

But now, it was time to get serious. The battle portion of the tournament was about to begin. Now I could show _my_ stuff.

The first battle was up against two boys who seemed to be a bit too cocky for their own good. They sent out a buizel and a ponyta; that made me assume they were from Sinnoh. I could guess what kinds of pokemon they had after that.

"C'mon, Juno!" I exclaimed, releasing the pikachu, who appeared in a flash of light with a battle cry.

"You're up, Toto!" Cory's tropius materialized next to my pikachu.

It was a bit surprised that he had chosen Toto, since he was weak to the ponyta. But that just meant to me that Cory and Toto would handle the buizel, while Juno and I took out the ponyta. I just hoped that my brother did that on purpose and that it wasn't an honest mistake. I thought I had taught him better.

The boys didn't seem bothered at all. They looked all ready to battle—and in their cases, get their a**es kicked.

"Ladies first," one of them said, a smirk on his face.

Cocky little b**tard. I was going to enjoy kicking his sorry a**.

"If you insist," I said. "Juno, use Thunderbolt!"

The pikachu smirked, her red cheek pouches crackling, and then unleashed a wicked bolt of electricity on the buizel. It dropped like a rock. The two boys stared at us in horror. Ha, they thought it was going to be an easy win?! Dumba**es.

Cory gave me a withering look—probably because of the lady comment—and then said to his tropius, "Toto, use Fly!"

The tropius's wings flapped, and he launched himself into the air, soaring high above us, and out of rage of any attacks. Aha! So _that_ was what Cory was planning on doing. I knew he wouldn't make a stupid mistake. He knew what he was doing. _I_ had taught him after all.

"Agh," the boy with the buizel groaned, returning the fallen pokemon to its poke ball. "It ain't over yet!" He took out another poke ball. "Abomasnow!"

...Shit.

The massive abominable snowman pokemon appeared before us in a flash of light; d*mn, I hated those things. Just looking at them creeped me out; at least it wasn't a Ghost-type. Juno tensed, and I debated switching her out; the opposing pokemon now both had a weakness against Toto, and he couldn't stay in the safety of the air forever.

It was the best choice of action. "Juno, come back!"

She gave me a look, but obediently scampered back to me, and leaped up onto my shoulder. I took another poke ball off my belt, knowing victory would be sure once I released him. There was no way we could lose.

"You're up! Jupiter!"

With a fierce roar, the black charizard materialized in front of me. Once he got a look at the enemy, he _sat down_. I swear, Jupiter's behavior towards battling could be so insulting to the opponent sometimes. If the enemy did not look threatening to him, he didn't even put out full effort. I supposed, though, in the case of these two boys, that might have been the better thing. I didn't want any pokemon to get really hurt.

I had been thinking so much about Jupiter's body language, I hadn't noticed that the boys were staring at my starter, at that massive black charizard, and looked even more scared than before. Sometimes I really forgot that Jupiter could be terrifying.

"All right," I said; it was our turn. "Jupiter, use Flamethrower." Since I wasn't shouting the order, that should have told him to go easy on them.

Jupiter lifted his head, and shot one of his weaker jets of flame at the abomasnow. Just like I suspected, the pokemon cried out in pain and collapsed. My team had knocked out two pokemon!"

Now, it was Toto's turn. The tropius shot down with wicked speed, and slammed into the ponyta before it could try to dodge the attack. The fire horse was out, too.

I think the boys realized they were going to lose.

…

The first few rounds of the battle tournament went by rather fast. The weaker contestants were cleaned out easily. All of my friends managed to stay in—hello, we were freaking tough—plus a team I hadn't cared to pay attention to during the contest part. Their names were Lancelot and Morgana—and I swore that it was the same Lancelot that Pyrite and I had met in the Pokemon Tower.

We were coming down to the final rounds now. Galena and Bronze would be facing Snow and Carmine. Cory and I had an opponent that would be easy to defeat. But Pyrite and Dodge... They would have to face Lancelot and Morgana.

Gio had come back in the waiting room with Quartz, and we were all sitting together along with Bronze and Galena. We sat in front of the big flat screen TV to watch Pyrite and Dodge battle Lancelot and Morgana.

"Dodge and Pyrite have a lot of work cut out for them," Cory was saying, looking at the screen. "Have you _seen_ those two battle?"

"I know!" Galena cried. "It's _insane_. And Morgana hasn't even used her third pokemon yet. They're wiping the floor with everyone."

"Yeah, well, Ry and Dodge'll clean _them_ up!" I declared confidently.

Gio was frowning. "There's... something familiar about them."

I looked at him, confused. "Familiar?"

He nodded, not taking his eyes off the screen. "Yeah. I feel like I've seen them before somewhere."

"Well, maybe you have," Carne said. "It would be hard not to remember _them_."

Gio didn't seem convinced. "I don't know... They don't give me a good feeling, that's for sure."

Lancelot looked exactly how I remembered him—effeminate, with dark brown hair and light, silvery-blue eyes, in a white dress shirt and black slacks. The woman—Morgana—looked a lot like him, so I figured they were siblings. She was tall and lithe, with long, flowing black hair that went all the way down to her f*cking _knees_, with startlingly violet eyes and she wore a gothic black dress. She was one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen.

"Well, Ry and I did see Lancelot in the Pokemon Tower," I relented.

Gio jerked to look at me, his silver eyes wide. "He was at the Pokemon Tower?!"

"Yeah... He seemed... against humans and pokemon being together." I frowned.

"...But he's battling with—ugh, these pro-liberation weirdos make no sense!" Galena huffed. "They're a bunch of hypocrites, if you ask me!"

"Shut up!" I hissed. "They're about to start!"

* * *

><p><em>(Dodge's POV)<em>

Now, I had entered this tournament because Pyrite had asked me. I had no intention to win, really—just to have some fun and get some training in. I believed Pyrite had the same motivation. But as soon as we stepped out on the battle field across from Lancelot and Morgana, two trainers who had slaughtered everyone they had battled, I'm pretty sure we both realized we _had_ to beat them.

"All right, bro," I said, looking at my best friend. "You ready to go all out?"

He nodded. "Definitely." He took out a poke ball. "Let's go, Blitz!"

His luxray was released. I took out my own poke ball, hoping for the best.

"Carracosta!" I exclaimed, sending out the ancient pokemon.

If our opponents were intimidated by our pokemon, they sure did not show it. Both Lancelot and Morgana took out poke balls. I braced myself to see whatever they were going to send out. Hopefully it would give _us_ the advantage. But our hope was short lived.

"Mamoswine!" Lancelot announced, releasing the large mammoth pokemon.

"Sylveon!" Morgana exclaimed.

...Sylveon?

The strangest pokemon I had ever seen materialized before us. It looked like some sort of canine, but it was pink and light blue with ribbons and crap. It landed elegantly on the ground as we stared at it.

...What the hell _was_ that?!

"...Dodge... Please tell me I'm not imagining things," Pyrite said, his eyes wide.

"You're not," I deadpanned. "I see it too."

Morgana laughed. "What? You haven't seen a _sylveon_ before? You people really do live in the boondocks."

Okay, talk about _rude_. "Whatever. Let's get this battle started."

"With pleasure," said Lancelot. "Mamoswine, Earthquake."

The sylveon—or whatever the hell that ribbon monster was—used Protect as the mamoswine executed the move. The ground shook violently, and both Carracosta and Blitz went down. Darn it! This was not going to go well at _all_.

"Don't worry," Pyrite said as we each took out another poke ball. "I've got this. Go, Zahn!"

Heh. Of _course_. I smiled smugly as the zweilous appeared before us. That's right, the deino had evolved after the last battle we were in. Zahn's two heads snapped their jaws, but the enemy didn't seem bothered.

It was time to go all out. "Vaporeon! Let's do it!"

"Vaporeeeeee!" he cried as he landed next to Zahn.

"Muddy Water!" I commanded, pointing to the mamoswine.

Vaporeon waved his tail, and a wave of brown water slammed into the mamoswine, knocking it out in one hit. Now _that_ was what I was talking about!

Morgana closed her eyes, smiling serenely. "Ha. Sylveon. Moonblast."

...First a pokemon we had never seen before, and now a move we had never heard of. What was _next_?

A ball of silver light formed in front of the sylveon's face, and then blasted into Zahn. The zweilous screeched in pain, and was thrown back all the way into the wall behind us. Zahn slumped down onto the floor, unconscious. Pyrite and I stared at the sylveon, horrified.

"_Did that... just take out... a Dragon-type?!"_ the announcer was crying, just as freaked out as we were.

_Note to self: Never underestimate cute pokemon ever again._

Pyrite, still stunned, pulled out his Pokedex. He was going to look it up, wasn't he? But then he gasped, his eyes widening even more.

"Sylveon isn't on here!" he exclaimed, looking at me in shock.

I just stared at him. If a pokemon wasn't on the Pokedex, that meant...

"We're screwed," I deadpanned.

* * *

><p><em>(Amber's POV)<em>

All of us were stunned into silence.

Zahn was not only a dragon pokemon, but he was one of Ry's strongest pokemon. How, in the name of Arceus, did that cutsie little thing covered in ribbons knock him out in one hit?! It was impossible!

"What _is_ that thing?!" I demanded angrily, leaping to my feet. "How dare she use an unknown pokemon!"

Gio's eyes were as wide as saucers. "I've only seen sylveon in storybooks... from Kalos."

"Kalos?" Galena echoed, still dazed.

Gio nodded. "Yes. Kalos. It's a mythical region said to be north of Unova. It's supposed to be home to Fairy-type pokemon—pokemon with the power to slay dragons. Sylveon was an eevee blessed by the fairies. She became a fairy so she could fend off Reshiram and Zekrom when their fighting led them too close to Kalos. Or that's what the storybook was about."

"So Sylveon is a new Eeveelution?" Quartz gasped.

Gio was still in a daze. "I can't believe it. Fairies are real... But how did Morgana get a hold of one? I don't get it."

"Maybe she's from Kalos," Cory offered thoughtfully.

Gio still seemed skeptical.

I watched in horror as the rest of Ry and Dodge's pokemon were knocked out by Lancelot and Morgana's d*mned sylveon. They lost the battle. They were disqualified from the battle tournament. They still lasted pretty long, so it shouldn't hinder them too much when it came to the final scores.

...At least that meant I wouldn't have to battle them...

I saw them leave the arena, so I hurried off to meet them. Once I found them, they both looked pretty dejected.

"Ry! Dodge!" I exclaimed, relieved to see them.

"Oh, hey, Amber," Dodge sighed. "Dang, I haven't lost that badly in a long time."

"I haven't lost that badly _ever_," Pyrite deadpanned.

"Hey," I said, putting my hands on my hips. "You did your best..." I paused. "And Gio might know something about that pokemon, but it's just a fairytale..." No pun intended.

Pyrite raised an eyebrow, surprised. "Really?"

I nodded, and snagged his hand. "Yeah, c'mon!"

I dragged him off and Dodge followed.

* * *

><p><em>(Galena's POV)<em>

It was time for Bronze and me to battle Snow and Carmine! I was getting all hyped up and excited, though the whole mystery with Sylveon was at the back of my mind. I was having so much fun with my big brother, I didn't want it to end! I didn't get to spend time with him like this often, so it meant a lot to me.

"Are you ready, Lena?!" Bronze exclaimed excitedly.

I nodded, grinning. "You bet! Let's go have some fun, okay?!"

I knew it would be really tough to be Snow and Carmine, but I wasn't in this competition to win it. I was just here to spend some quality time with my brother. But it wouldn't be fair to my pokemon if I didn't give the battle my all. We would try our hardest to the very end!

We headed out onto the battlefield, with Snow and Carmine coming out across from us. The crowd was bustling, and I wondered what they were saying; who did they think was going to win? I knew Amber wanted Bronze and me to win, and we all knew why.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we continue with the semifinals! In this match, we have Snow Vin and Carmine Kazuo versus Bronze and Galena Berlitz-Palmer! Who will come out on top?! We'll have to wait and see! Let the battle begin!"

"All right," said Snow. "Let's go, Wynne!"

An azumarill appeared before us. Wow, what a cutie! My mom has one named Azurie. It kind of made me sad that I would have to defeat it.

"Arizona! You're up!" Carmine declared, releasing her Vulpix.

Okay, so they were using a Water-Fire combo. We could work with this! I pulled my own poke ball from my bag as Bronze took out one too.

"Neony!" I exclaimed, sending out my precious lumineon.

"Go, Star!" Bronze shouted, releasing his staraptor. The bird pokemon let out a battle cry and flapped her wings harder so she moved higher up into the air.

"You can start first," I told them.

Snow nodded. "Wynne, use Hydro Pump!"

"Arizona! Use Flamethrower!" Carmine commanded.

"Quick, Neony!" I shouted. "Douse the fire with Water Pulse!"

"Star, Double Team!" my brother commanded.

My lumineon flapped her wing-like fins, forming a ball of water in front of her. The water sphere pulsed forward, colliding with the jet of flames, and promptly putting them out until it hit the vulpix. Arizona cried out in pain, and fell back. Star used Double Team, creating several different images of himself, and increasing his evasiveness. The powerful pump of water from Wynne didn't hit her; it hit one of the copies. I grinned. Bronze sure knew what he was doing!

Arizona was out for the count, so Carmine had to return her. She took out another poke ball.

"C'mon, Carolina!"

Crap! She was sending out her emolga, who was strong against both Neony and Star. This could get really bad, really fast. I needed to knock out the azumarill so it would be safe for Bronze to send out Chim. So, I called back Neony, and sent out Ivy, my venusaur in her place. Ivy stayed silent as usual, just shifting on her feet. Carm looked like she was getting a little nervous. Call it cruel, but I was kind of glad; she deserved it, after how she treated Amber. I had no idea what the problem was between them.

"Star, Fly!" Bronze ordered.

The staraptor pumped her wings powerful, soaring higher and higher into the air until she was out of range.

"Wynne, use Ice Beam," Snow commanded, surprisingly calm.

Whoa! Crap, that was not good for Ivy!

"Carolina, Double Team!" Carmine cried.

The azumarill shot an icy beam of energy at Ivy, who braced herself for the attack. It hit her as the emolga began moving so fast it looked like there were several versions of her. Ivy cried out in pain, and slid back a few inches, but otherwise she hung on. I took out my Pokedex to check her vitals. That Ice Beam had knocked her HP down to half. We still had time to take out the azumarill!

"Okay!" I exclaimed. "Ivy, use Petal Dance!"

Ivy let out a cry, and pink petals came shooting from the giant flower on her back, swirling around the azumarill. Wynne took major damage, and collapsed. Oh yeah! We did it!

"Yes!" I cried with joy, jumping up into the air. "Awesome job, Ivy!"

She let out a happy rumble, smiling at me. Finally, Star came shooting down from the sky, slamming head on into the emolga. Carolina cried out, crashing down to the ground. Much to our relief, Star wasn't paralyzed from Carolina's Static ability.

Bronze grinned. "Yay! We're winning!"

Snow smiled. "We'll see. Come on out, Seren!"

This time, she sent out an arcanine. Uh oh. I decided to return Ivy and send Neony back out. Bronze kept Star out, which didn't surprise me; he wasn't one to switch out pokemon that often. Carolina managed to push herself back up into the air, looking battered and bruised. So, our opponents were down to two pokemon each, and we had yet to lose a pokemon. This was going really one, and I was having so much fun!

"Star, Aerial Ace!" Bronze commanded.

"Neony, use Whirl Pool!" I exclaimed.

"Seren, use Heat Wave," Snow ordered.

"Carolina! Volt Switch!" Carmine shouted.

The first thing that hit was a wave of fire. Star charged through it with Aerial Ace, and slammed into the emolga, knocking her out before she could use her move. Neony let out a cry, and flapped her fins. Swirling water formed above her, and she pushed the whirlpool towards the arcanine. Seren was pulled into the vortex, and she whined in pain as her body was battered by the water.

But this time, Star _was_ paralyzed. But I knew we could get through this. As long as we worked together, there was no way we could lose!

* * *

><p><em>(Amber's POV)<em>

Pyrite was in a really bad mood. And I meant _really_, _really_ bad. Even after Gio had told him and Dodge what he had told us, Pyrite didn't feel any better about the loss. Actually, he was pretty p*ssed off. Lancelot and Morgana were smart to stay away from us.

"Galena and Bronze are totally owning Carmine and Snow," Lyric was saying where she was sitting with my brother and Quartz. "I'm impressed."

"I'm kinda surprised," Quartz said softly. "Since Snow's dad is the Unova Champion and Carmine's dad used to be the Unova Champion..."

"Parents aren't everything," said Lyric. "Like, my mom's a manager for celebrities. Before that, she was a fashion designer. I'm not good at any of those things."

"True..." Quartz admitted, looking down. "But I want to be a member of the Elite Four like my dad... So I'm training hard..."

"I'm sure you'll do it someday," Cory said, trying to reassure her. "You're just as good as your dad, if not better!"

Quartz blushed. "T-Thanks, Cory..."

Lyric rolled her eyes. "I've been meaning to ask you guys—who's Opal?"

Cory blinked. "Opal? You mean Opal Kimu? She's our cousin. She's my dad's sister's daughter. Her dad is Quartz's mom's and Pyrite's dad's brother."

Lyric's eyes widened. "That's... complicated."

"Tell me about it," my brother sighed. "Anyways, why did you want to know?"

"Bronze talks a lot about her," Lyric explained. "So I was just wondering who she is. He seems to be really fond of her."

Quartz blinked this time. "Bronze is fond of all of us... That's just how he is."

"...Not in the way he talks about Opal," Lyric deadpanned.

Dear Arceus. I blocked out their conversation; I hadn't seen Opal in a while, but I doubted she would be happy to find out that Bronze was crushing on her. Gio was having a onesided conversation with Pyrite, who was silently smoldering, while Dodge just leaned up against the wall in front of us to the side of the TV, looking like he was deep in thought. Gio was completely oblivious to Pyrite's bad mood.

"So where are we going next after this?" Gio was asking. "If we're even still traveling... since Amber... has to go home."

"Celadon City," Dodge said, finally speaking up. "The Gym leader there is Hyacinth Murasaki. She specializes in Grass-types."

"Oh, I've heard of her," Gio said, his brow furrowing thoughtfully. "She's related to Professor Chrise, right?"

"Yup," I said. "Hyacinth is Viola's little sister. But Viola specializes in Bug-types, not Grass-types."

"Whoa!" Gio gasped. "That's so weird. In one of the Kalos myths, there was a Bug-type Gym leader named Viola. How weird is that!"

Pyrite didn't look amused. Okay, I couldn't let him be like this. Not after he had helped me so much when I got down from a loss. But I couldn't cheer him up in front of the others... So I had to drag him off with me somehow. Hmmm...

I jumped up. "I'm thirsty! I'm gonna go get some soda pop. Hey, Ry, why don't you come with me? Some fresh air'll do you some good."

That seemed to catch his attention. "What-"

I grabbed him by his arm and proceeded to drag him out of the waiting room. I let him go when we were a safe enough distance from the room. The deck was empty, and the fresh air did feel refreshing. I turned back around to face him, and he was about to say something, but I interrupted him.

"What's wrong, Ry?" I asked.

He shut his mouth, and then sighed. "I just don't get it."

"Get what?" I asked, stepping closer to him.

He looked down, refusing to look at me. "That sylveon—how it took out Zahn so easily. That shouldn't have happened. I was so _sure_ that we would win when I sent him out. And then they just wiped us out so easily—it wasn't even a real battle. It was a _smack_ down. I've never been so humiliated before in my life."

I pursed my lips, and moved closer to him until I was standing right in front of him. "It was a freak situation, Ry! Nobody could've won that. No one's ever seen a pokemon like that before, and it's probably a new type. Don't be so hard on yourself..." I tried to give him a comforting smile.

Pyrite suddenly laughed, a smile twitching at his lips. "Usually I'm the one trying to cheer _you_ up. And you're right. I'm just... really frustrated about it, I guess."

I grinned up at him. "That's the spirit!" I gave him a hug, trying to ignore the fluttering butterfree in my stomach when I did so. "We'll figure this out together, okay? You've got me, Dodge, Gio, and everyone else!" I caught myself, pulling away and looking down. "Well, me until I have to go..."

"Hey..." I looked back up at him. "It'll be okay, all right? I know you have to go back home... because of what happened... But it won't last forever. You'll be fine, Ambs."

My belly lurched, and I felt my face flush. "Y-Yeah... I-I guess so..." I fully pulled myself away from him. "Um... I really should get a soda pop."

He nodded. "All right. Let's go."

…

The next few battles went by rather slowly. Galena and Bronze had defeated Snow and Carmine, only to have to face Cory and me in battle. We won that match. And now it was down to the final battle—Cory and I would have to battle Lancelot and Morgana.

Okay, I would admit that I thought we were screwed. Juno, however, seemed pretty determined to win this. I couldn't let my pokemon down...

"All right, ladies and gentlemen!" the announcer exclaimed. "We are down to the final battle—Lancelot and Morgana Simmons versus Corundum and Amber Rosso-Senri! I'm excited to see how intense this gets! Without further ado, let the battle begin!"

Just like I suspected, Lancelot released his mamoswine, and Morgana sent out her _froslass_. Just seeing the pokemon made me freak out inside, on the verge of a panic attack. Cory saw my reaction, and tried to give me a calming, reassuring look. I squeezed my eyes shut, and tried to take deep breaths to calm myself.

"What's the matter?" Morgana taunted. "Does my froslass _scare_ you? Haha!"

"Hey," Cory retorted, getting angry. "That's not nice!"

My eyes shot open. "Shut the hell up, b*tch!" I pulled a poke ball off my belt. "Jupiter! Go!"

The massive charizard materialized before us with a snarl, unfurling his wings and baring his fangs. I hoped he looked menacing. These guys were really p*ssing me off. And luckily for me, Jupiter's body blocked my view of the f*cking froslass.

Cory knew what to do. "Jojo, spotlight!"

The magenta and orange marshtomp appeared in a flash of light. Two shiny pokemon out at once sure had to be a sight. But I could sense the power that mamoswine and froslass had thanks to my Viridian powers; this would not be an easy battle. But I sure as hell wasn't going down without a fight.

Lancelot crossed his arms over his chest. "Let the children go first."

Okay, these b**tards really knew how to f*cking push my buttons. I was p*ssed off right now. I scowled, my hands clenching into fists. Cory looked angry too, as angry as he could be. He didn't have a rage problem like me.

"Jupiter!" I exclaimed. "Flamethrower!"

"Jojo, use Muddy Water!" Cory ordered.

Right as flames exploded out of Jupiter's gaping jaws, Jojo slammed her fists into the ground, and brown water burst out. The flames coated the froslass, while the filthy water slammed into the mamoswine. Much to my pleasure, both pokemon were knocked out.

"Take that, a**holes!" I exclaimed cockily, a wicked grin on my lips.

Cory sighed, and shook his head at me, but he was smiling too. "Great work, Jojo, Jupiter."

However, Lancelot and Morgana did not look pleased. They both returned their fallen pokemon. I proudly placed my hands on my hips and grinned at my brother. They had definitely underestimated us, which was a terrible mistake.

"Humph," Morgana snorted. "You were just lucky. Absol, let's finish this!"

"You're up, Noivern!" Lancelot exclaimed.

...What the hell was a noivern?

An absol appeared, along with the weirdest bat-like looking pokemon I had ever f*cking seen before in my life. It squawked, taking to the air. Jupiter growled, pumping his wings, and lifted up off the ground to meet it. I didn't even bother taking out my Pokedex to check it; I highly doubted that thing was recorded, just like the Sylveon.

Well, when it doubt, use a Dragon-type move!

"Jupiter! Dragon Pulse!" I commanded.

"Jojo, use Surf!" Cory exclaimed.

"Psycho Cut, Absol!" Morgana ordered firmly.

"Noivern, use Dragon Rush!" Lancelot shouted.

It all happened so fast. Jojo slammed her fists into the ground again, and this time a giant wave of blue water shot across the arena. Jupiter and the noivern avoided the attacks because they were in the air. The absol was hit hard, but not knocked out. A sphere of powerful energy formed in Jupiter's jaws, and shot out right as the noivern lunged forward with its own attack. Dragon Pulse hit first, but Noivern just kept on barreling through, tackling the charizard hard in the stomach and knocking him backwards.

Jupiter shoved the strange pokemon away, and it fell to the ground. This time, I did take out my Pokedex to check its HP levels. It was still hanging on, but barely. Noivern must be a Dragon-type, then. I put the device away. We had this battle in the bag!

"Not so cocky now, huh?" I taunted with a smirk. "Why not just surrender now?"

Cory gave me a withering look. I just laughed. I was having way too much fun with this!

Morgana rolled her eyes. "The battle will end now. Sylveon!"

...Sh*t.

That dreaded pokemon appeared before us as Lancelot took out another poke ball. I was cursing like no tomorrow in my head, words I wouldn't repeat even now. Lancelot released a gyarados of all things, which was the last kind of pokemon that I wanted to see after the incident that happened the other day. F*ck my life.

"Jupiter, return," I said, calling back the charizard. "Juno, it's your turn!"

"_Aw yesss!"_ she cheered, leaping down off my shoulder. _"I've been waiting for this!"_

"Okay, Juno," I said. "Let's finish this with Discharge!"

She grinned malicious, baring her cute little fangs, and then leaped up into the air, her cheek pouches crackling. With a final spark, electricity shot from all over her body, hitting anything that got in the tiny bolts' way. Jojo was hit, but since she was half Ground-type, it did no damage. The gyarados roared in pain as the attack hit it several times. The sylveon took damage as well, but it wasn't as severe as the gyarados, which dropped like a rock. The ground shook when it landed.

"Who's scared now?" I taunted, smirking again and crossing my arms over my chest.

Morgana did not look pleased. "Sylveon, Moonblast!"

"Quick, Jojo!" Cory exclaimed. "Use Blizzard!"

The temperature abruptly dropped as the ball of silver light formed and blasted at Juno. A wall of thick ice and snow shot at the sylveon, The wave cut off the Moonblast attack, and froze the potential eeveelution solid. Morgana gasped in shock. It was almost over now. But, to everyone's surprise, I called Juno back and she returned to her perch on my shoulder.

"Jupiter!" I exclaimed, releasing the charizard. "End this with Flamethrower!"

Fire exploded from his jaws as he appeared before us, caressing the ice block that contained the sylveon. The ice melted, and then the pokemon was scourged by the intense flames. And without further ado, the sylveon fell, finally knocked out.

We did it! Hell yeah!

"F*ck yes!" I cheered, and gave my twin brother a big high five. "We did it, Cory! We won the battle tournament!"

He beamed at me. "I knew we could do it! When we work together, Ambs, nobody can beat us."

I grinned wider, and then glomped him in a bear hug. "You betcha!"

…

And so, in the end, Cory and I won the tournament. It made me so happy and excited I practically didn't know what to do with myself. I was surprised, however, when I was leaving the arena with my friends and all our prizes—we all had made placings—to find my mom waiting for us, with Raiden perched on her shoulder—more specifically, me.

"Amber," she said, and I froze; Juno tensed on my shoulder. "Come here."

...Sh*t, what was I in trouble for _now_?

"Is there something wrong, Mom?" Cory asked.

She shook her head. "No. I just need to speak with your sister."

...That did not make me feel any better _at all_.

I sighed heavily. "Okay, Mom. I'm coming."

Juno's ears drooped as I walked up to my mom. She could sense it too, huh? Of course she could. She was super smart, just like Raiden and Joy.

"Come with me," Mom said, turning around.

I followed her down the deck, far away from my friends. With each step I took, the more nervous I became. Arceus, what did I do wrong now? Was it because I was swearing during the tournament? D*mmit, why did I always keep messing up?!

Mom stopped, and turned around to face me, putting her hands on her hips. "You did good today."

I just stared at her, my eyes wide. Even Juno was shocked.

Mom frowned, raising an eyebrow. "What?"

"I-I thought you were going to scold me again," I muttered.

She laughed, amused. "Of course not. You've done nothing wrong. You worked amazingly with your brother, securing victory. Even against strange, unknown pokemon..." She frowned again, her brow furrowing as she thought.

"Thanks, Mom..."

It was strange hearing a compliment from her. Especially after all the trouble I had gotten in. It... made me feel good. Like... I really wasn't so messed up after all. I _could_ do something right. Pokemon was the really the only thing I was good at... But soon I would have to give them up somewhat and go home. I would have to stop battling and return to school... It was painful to think about...

"Amber." I looked back up at my mom. "If you can prove to me that you deserve to travel Kanto on your journey, then you can continue. You were so happy out there... and if you can prove that you're responsible enough, there's no reason for me to end your happiness. Do you understand, Amber?"

I stared at her in awe. "Y-Yes! Thank you so much, Mom!"

She laughed, smiling again. "You haven't proven yourself yet. But I believe you can do it."

My mom... still believed in me!

"Now go back to your friends," she said, turning. "Don't keep them waiting. And your father and I expect you and Cory to join us for dinner tonight."

I nodded. "Okay, Mom! See you later, then!"

"_Good job kicking major a** today,"_ said Raiden, making Juno giggle and Mom roll her eyes.

"Thanks, Raiden," I laughed before heading off to find my friends.

* * *

><p><strong>Guess what today is? June 15th, 2013? The very day that Topaz, our original protagonist, was born! And this chapter is to celebrate that! I'm so glad I was able to fit her into the chap too, and in a good way.<strong>

**I hope everyone's been keeping up with the XY news! Because this chapter contained a lot of what was revealed. Sylveon is a new Eeveelution, and is the new Fairy type. Noivern is a batlike Dragon/Flying type.**

**As for how Kalos fits into FT and Evermore... This chapter also gave you some insight on that!**

**Lancelot and Morgana... Who are they? How do they have the unknown Kalos Pokémon? And what do they want? You'll find out next chapter~**

**There was a lot of shipping too! Gio asked Amber to the ball, and Cory finally manned up and asked Quartz, too. Lyric implied some Engagement!**

**Well, that's all! Next chapter is VERY important and full of surprises, so be prepared!**

**Reviews are love. Happy birthday, Topaz!**


	22. 20: Victorious Is the Venusaur

**EVERMORE**

**~Sequel Of The Forever Trilogy~**

**Chapter 20**

**Victorious Is the Venusaur**

_Wednesday, September 14, 5018._

_(Amber's POV)_

The last thing I expected to wake up to was the whole ship shaking like an earthquake, and an alarm blaring. Juno and I nearly fell off the bed.

"What the-" I began.

"Argh!" Carne groaned. "What's going on?!"

Juno leaped up onto my shoulder as I sat up, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. "There's only one way to find out."

She nodded, though personally I thought Carne looked really tired. We quickly threw on some clothes, and exited the room. It was early in the morning—just a little past eight to be exact. But for reason it was darker out than it should have been; something must have been blocking the sun. Still pulling on my fingerless gloves, I looked up at the sky. And promptly almost lost my sh*t.

"What is that?!" Carne shrieked.

It was some sort of flying ship that looked nearly identical to the ship that belonged to Team Plasma in history books. It was hovering in the sky, blocking out the sun where we stood. A ramp had been released down to our own ship, and men and women in black and gray were running down and boarding the S.S. Calvary. But they didn't look like Team Rocket grunts.

"F*ck!" I exclaimed. "We're under attack!"

"I can see that," Carne deadpanned. "C'mon, let's find the others before-"

"Hey! You kids!"

Two of the grunts appeared, stopping in front of us. Just like I thought, they looked nothing like Team Rocket. They were in gray body suits with black vests, boots, and gloves, with gray masks covering their mouths, and black caps with white Xs on their heads. The familiar insignia of Team Plasma was over the right side of their vests.

"Hand over your pokemon!" one of them commanded gruffly. "We, Team Plasma, will liberate pokemon from their weak trainers and bring back the Government!"

...You had _got_ to be kidding me.

"No way!" I retorted.

"Then we'll just take them from you by force," the other grunt said, taking out a poke ball.

_Please_. They obviously did not know who they were f*cking with.

One grunt sent out a watchog, and the other released a drapion. Like always, the drapion made me extra nervous; I wasn't scared of them like I was with ghosts, but they always unnerved me. But it wasn't crippling, thank Arceus.

"Go, Juno!" I exclaimd, pointing forward.

"Flareon!" Carne announced, releasing the pokemon.

The pikachu and flareon landed next to each other at the same time. Juno's cheeks crackled, and Flareon let out a low growl. The watchog and drapion didn't seem bothered at all. I wondered if these pokemon had been stolen by the d*mned hypocrites. I wondered if they ever thought about their first trainers, if they missed them...

"You're going down," I threatened. "Juno, Thunderbolt!"

"Flareon, use Flamethrower!" Carne ordered.

"Protect!" both grunts shouted.

Walls of protective light surrounded the enemy pokemon, absorbing the electricity and fire from our attacks. I tried not to curse out loud. I guess this Team Plasma wasn't going to be as lame as the first or second incarnations. Great, just f*cking great. First we had Team Rocket, and now Team Plasma. What was next? Team Galactic? Villains could never rest, could they?

"That pikachu's strong," said the grunt with the drapion. "Drapion! Grab the girl!"

Wait, what?!

"Amber!" Carne cried.

The drapion lumbered forward, towards me. Juno let out an angry cry, and lunged at the scorpion pokemon. She hit it right in its fave, digging her claws into its eyes. The drapion screeched in pain, flailing its claws. Both grunts were stunned, probably because of Juno's loyalty to me.

"Now, Flareon!" Carne exclaimed, a determined look in her eyes. "Heat Wave!"

Flareon let out a cry, leaping up into the air. I could feel the temperature rising, and then fire exploded from the eeveelution's mouth, hitting the two enemy pokemon in a massive wave of flames. The watchog was knocked out, but both the drapion—who survived the attack—and Juno were hit. The pikachu dropped down from the drapion's face, but she still seemed to be hanging on. That Heat Wave was f*cking strong!

"You little brats!" the grunt with the watchog exclaimed angrily. "You'll pay for that! Krookodile!"

..._Sh*t_.

The massive red and black crocodile pokemon appeared before us, all ready to fight. And it had both Juno's and Flareon's weaknesses. We were so screwed. If Juno got really hurt-

"Demeter! Frenzy Plant!"

"Sir, Hydro Cannon!"

Sh*t, that was—I dove for Juno, trying to get her away from the insanely powerful incoming attacks. I managed to scoop her up and clutch her to my chest, shielding her with my body. I heard the Frenzy Plant and Hydro Cannon go over me, and then hit the krookodile and drapion. I heard them fall. I risked looking up.

My parents had arrived.

Mom really did not look happy. She strode forward, a seething Raiden on her shoulder, Demeter, her venusaur, right by her side. Dad seemed a bit calmer, but still very p*ssed. He only had Sir out, his swampert. Demeter and Sir were their starters, veterans on the War, and two of the most powerful pokemon in the world. All veteran pokemon weren't allowed to battle normally since they were so strong—since they had _killed_ people and pokemon alike. They were extremely dangerous. _And my parents were using them against Team Plasma._

That only meant one thing—serious sh*t was going down and my parents meant business.

The grunts looked like they were going to flee after they returned their fallen pokemon; they must have recognized my parents. Well, they were a general and a commander in the Resistance. This just seemed to p*ss my mom off even more.

"Demeter, grab them," she commanded, her voice like ice.

Vines shot out of the flower on the venusaur's back, and wrapped around both the men when they turned their backs in an attempt to run away. Demeter dragged them back, lifting them high up into the air. They cried out in surprised as they began to dangle. Dad stopped beside Mom, his arms crossed over his chest. Both of their pokemon remained silent, though I could tell Raiden was _dying_ to say something.

"Tell me," Mom spat, narrowing her eyes. "What is Team Plasma doing here?"

One of the grunts gulped, his forehead shiny with sweat. "I-I don't know... T-They don't tell us grunts everything! O-Our orders are to just l-liberate as many pokemon as p-possible..."

Mom seemed skeptical. "Tighten, Demeter."

The men yowled in pain as Demeter's vines tightened their grips around them. I felt someone tap my back. I looked behind me to see Carne holding out her hand. I took it, and she helped me stand back up onto my feet. Juno stirred, much to my relief.

"I don't know anything, I swear!" the other grunt cried. "Please don't kill me!"

The look on Mom's face was one of incredulity. "I'm not going to kill you. I just want some answers."

"I don't think they know anything, love," Dad said, frowning. "It would be best to let them go."

Mom scowled. "Humph. I suppose you're right. Let them go, Demeter."

The venusaur gave a slight nod, and then released the two grunts from her vines, letting them drop to the ground. The vines slithered back into the massive flower. The terrified men stammered thanks before bolting away, probably back to the ship. Mom and Dad looked at us, and I wasn't sure how I was supposed to react. I was kinda in shock myself.

"Is everyone okay?" Dad asked.

Carne nodded. "Yeah... Thanks, Uncle Rubin, Aunt Topaz."

Juno finally moved. Mom looked at her, frowning again.

"Let me see Juno," she said.

I reluctantly walked up to them with my pikachu. Raiden let out a low growl. Mom reached out and placed her hand on Juno. Then, to much of my surprise, all of the pikachu's injuries disappeared and she was revitalized. She let out a happy cry, her ears twitching, and leaped up onto my shoulder across from her father.

"There," Mom said, not looking tired at all. "She's fine now. You two should go find the others. Team Plasma has infiltrated the S.S. Calvary. We're going to need help driving them out. It shouldn't be too difficult, though, with veterans on board. Still, we're relying on you all for help."

I nodded. "Don't worry, Mom. You didn't have to even ask."

She seemed pleased by my response, but with my mom, you never knew.

"Something's not right about this, though," said Dad, frowning and stroking his chin. "How did Team Plasma know exactly where we were? The cruise is running behind schedule. It can only mean one thing—there are members of Team Plasma on the cruise."

"What?!" Carne gasped in shock, her eyes widening.

Mom nodded grimly. "I assumed as much. Perhaps that brother and sister team in the tournament—Lancelot and Morgana. They seemed very suspicious to me, especially since they have pokemon from Kalos."

"Kalos?" I echoed, confused. "I though that region was just a myth from fairytales."

Mom laughed, smiling. "There is a lot you don't know about the world, Amber. You're still young. You haven't seen anything yet. Sometimes, fairytales are true—just like with Reshiram and Zekrom."

Had... my parents been to Kalos? It really was real, then?

"All right, we need to go," Mom said, turning. "We're counting on you."

"Be careful," Dad added.

And with that, my parents headed off with their invincible starter pokemon, leaving Carne and me alone with our pokemon.

* * *

><p><em>(Corundum's POV)<em>

I had no idea what was going on.

I had previously thought that Team Rocket was the only evil syndicate out there—but I was sorely mistaken. Team Plasma was all over the ship, stealing people's pokemon. I had only managed to fend them off thanks to Dodge and Pyrite showing up. They were really freaked out too, and couldn't find Gio for some reason. So I agreed to help them search for him.

I had Kiki out, Dodge had his vaporeon, and Pyrite had Fehler. With these three pokemon, no grunt stood a chance against us. Fehler was way too fast, and it was thanks to him that we had the upper hand.

"Do you think the girls are okay?" I asked, starting to get worried; we had yet to see any of them. "I know Amber, Carne, and Carmine are probably fine, but Quartz and Galena..."

"Don't worry about 'em," Dodge said, trying to sound reassuring. "I'm sure they're okay. Snow, Copal, Aryl, or Coral is probably with them."

I tried to tell myself that, but I couldn't help but worry about Quartz. Yeah, she wanted to be a member of the Elite Four and all... but right now, she wasn't very strong. Her pokemon could easily be taken from her. I just hoped that she was okay, and that someone strong was with her. If anything happened to her...

"GET DOWN!"

Someone suddenly pushed me down into the ground. Something exploded, the bright light nearly blinding me. Smoke surrounded us, and I could barely breathe through it. I coughed, covering my nose and mouth with my sleeve the best I could. I couldn't see anything in front of me. Kiki mewed loudly, staying close to me. Darn it!

"Cory?!"

I gasped, whipping around at the sound of my name. It was just Quartz. I let out a sigh of relief, relaxing until she ran up to me and hugged me. I was caught totally off guard, and nearly fell down.

"I'm so scared!" she cried, not letting go. "I can't find anyone! Not even my parents or siblings!"

"H-Hey," I stammered, patting her on the back awkwardly. "It'll be okay..." I hesitated. "What was that explosion, anyways?"

"I-I don't know..." She pulled away. "But it came from Team Plasma's ship."

I just realized the temperature had dropped dramatically; it was freezing, and you could see your breath crystalized in the air. What happened?

"O-Ohhhh..." Quartz shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. "Why did this have to happen?"

Finally, the smoke cleared and we both gasped. This whole side of the deck was covered in ice, with a giant ice crystal in the center. Dodge and Pyrite were fine, as were their pokemon, but they looked just as shocked as we were.

"Holy crap," Dodge breathed. "What is with villainous teams and repeating history?!"

"At least it isn't Opelucid City," Pyrite sighed.

"Are you two okay?" Quartz called to them.

"Yeah," said Pyrite. "Thanks for the warning. "We better hurry and find Gio. I have a feeling he may be in major trouble."

"I don't know who attracts trouble more," Dodge sighed. "Gio or Amber. Let's go."

Well, "going" consisted of slipping dangerously across the ice and hitting the crystal. It really hurt, but soon we were off the ice and walking normally again. I didn't know much about Gio; just that he was Dodge, Pyrite, and my sister's friend, and that he asked my sister to the ball. Which was supposed to be tonight, but thanks to this attack, it would probably be postponed until tomorrow, if not outright canceled. He was still pretty much a mystery to me. I wondered if Amber liked him the way he seemed to like her.

The coldness not permeated the whole cruise ship. It got warmer the farther away from the ice you were, but it was still at least chilly. We encountered many grunts, and saved a few kids from getting their pokemon stolen. Kiki kicked some major butt.

We had picked our speed up to running, but we were abruptly stopped by three girls that materialized in front of us, like they were jumping out of shadows.

"Where do you think you're going?"

They were all identical—shaggy white hair pulled back in tight, high ponytails and dark eyes. They were dressed in all black, like ninjas, with their faces covered up like the Team Plasma grunts. They were probably in their late teens.

"Let us go," Pyrite said, steely.

One of the girls laughed. "Oh, lookie here, you're exactly who we're searching for!"

"Eh?" I blinked.

"Our mistress wants to see you," another girl said, her voice gruffer.

Pyrite narrowed his eyes. "What do you-"

But before he could finish his statement, the girls disappeared with him.

"Aaaah! Ry!" Quartz cried.

"We gotta hurry," said Dodge, even more serious than before. "Let's go."

I nodded.

* * *

><p><em>(Copal's POV)<em>

"Eon, use Shadow Ball!"

"Fox! Night Daze!"

A sphere of shadowy energy formed in front of umbreon's mouth and shot at the enemy's hypno, finishing it off. Aryl's zorua leaped up into the air, and then slammed back down into the ground, sending out a wave of dark red and black energy, knocking out the gengar. With that, the Team Plasma grunts were defeated, and quickly retreated.

Eon and Fox returned to our sides, though the zorua stayed down on the ground instead of leaping up onto Aryl's shoulder as usual. I shuddered, folding my arms over my chest. Ugh...

Aryl looked at me, a worried expression on her face. "Are you okay, Copal?"

I shivered again. "Sorry... Hypno still freak me out."

In second grade, creepy urban legends had been in. Kids would talk about them all the time in hopes of scaring each other. My class's favorite creepypasta story was about a hypno who kidnapped children, who were never seen again afterward. It had terrified me so much, I had been afraid of going outside for months. The whole idea of pokemon feeding off dreams creeped me out, too. Even to this day, drowzee and hypno unnerved me. They weren't the prettiest pokemon out there, either.

"I don't blame you," Aryl said, cracking a smile; she was obviously trying to cheer me up. "Well, it's gone now. We gotta keep moving and find Coral."

I nodded, and looked down at Eon, who let out a soft growl and nudged my leg with his snout. "Right. I'm okay. Really."

She seemed skeptical, but didn't say anything. "C'mon-"

We heard a familiar scream. "GIVE ME BACK MY POKEMON!"

Aryl and I exchanged looks. Aryl clearly wanted to leave her be and let her pokemon be stolen. But, we needed to be better than her. We couldn't stoop to her level. I gave Aryl a look. She made a face.

"Do we really have to?" she huffed, puffing out her cheeks. "She deserves to suffer."

"No one deserves to get their pokemon taken away," I said firmly. "Not even her, Aryl. Come _on_."

She sighed. "Fine. But only because _you_ want to."

I rolled my eyes, and turned around. I led the way to where Sally Johnson's screams had come from. There she was, pressed up against the wall clutching her bag dramatically, like a damsel in distress, barely making any effort to get her poke balls back other than screaming. Arceus, and she had called _me_ spineless.

"Team Plasma!" I shouted. "Give her pokemon back!"

The two grunts—men, of _course_—whipped around to face us. They both seemed shocked, and one of their faces flushed. What was the big deal? Was it because I was famous? Ugh.

One of the grunts seemed delighted. "We'll just take your pokemon, too then!"

Aryl laughed. "Good one! That's what they all say. Fox!" Her zorua leaped forward, ready to battle. "Foul Play, now!"

Foul Play was a really low move, if you asked me. I gasped, knowing exactly what Fox was going to do. The zorua leaped up into the air, curling up into a ball, and then threw herself right into one of the grunts' crotch. He screamed like a little girl and dropped like a rock. Aryl just laughed again.

"Aryl!" I gasped. "Are you a sadist?! Arceus, they don't even have pokemon out!"

She just snickered and winked. "Maybe~!"

I slapped my forehead. "Oh Arceus. What am I going to do with you?"

"I can think of a few things," she teased.

"AGH!" Sally screeched, chucking her back at the other grunt, hitting in the gut. "Give me back my pokemon, you bastard!"

She personally removed the poke balls from the grunt's belt, and then put them back in her bag. The grunt that she hit hastily pulled the injured grunt to his feet and dragged him away as fast as he could. Fox, snickering, returned to her usual perch on Aryl's shoulder.

"You're welcome," I said to Sally.

She glared at me. "Go away, queers."

Ugh. Seriously? We helped her get her pokemon back and she still had to call us names? I knew I had let her get away with it for all these years, and in that way it was my own fault. But there was no way I could let her get away with it now, now that I had finally accepted that it was true. I didn't have to be an empath like Snow to know that my girlfriend was p*ssed. But I needed to say something before she got the chance.

"When are you going to grow up?" I retorted, catching her by surprise. "Not everyone is the same, Sally. Just because people are different than you doesn't give you any right to call them awful names. How would _you_ like to be called names like that? You're lucky I'm nice, or I would have let Aryl beat you up by now."

It was like everything I just said went right over her head. "Oh, so you're _not_ denying it?"

Okay. That was it. I had reached my breaking point with this girl. I normally was very slow to anger, but I had dealt with her for years. As my dear little sister would say, f*ck it.

I beckoned Aryl closer. She blinked at me, obviously confused, but moved closer to me. But she still wasn't close enough, so I grabbed her by the arm and pulled her closer.

"Copal-chan, what are you-" she began.

I grabbed her shirt and yanked her down, shutting her up with a kiss.

Aryl froze up, obviously caught by surprise. But then she relaxed, and kissed me back, putting her arms around my waist and pulling me close. I savored the moment, almost completely forgetting why I had even done it until a strangled noise caught my attention. Aryl broke the kiss but didn't let me go, pulling me even closer in a hug instead. She looked over my shoulder at Sally, though I couldn't see her face.

"What does it look like to you, Johnson?" she taunted.

Sally screeched, and I wished I could see her face. I heard her run away. Ugh, what a loser. But now, I felt like I could finally put all that bullying behind me. It had hurt me, but it was in the past, and I was not the person I was then. I was stronger now, and I had amazing friends and family—and my relationship with Aryl had intensified and deepened in a way I had wanted even at that age, but had been too young and naïve to realize it.

Aryl kissed the top of my head, and then let me go, slipping her hand into mine. "C'mon, let's go find Coral. Gotta make sure she's okay. I doubt Team Plasma could take her pokemon, but..."

Her worried expression was back.

I nodded. "If anything happened, we'll just kick their butts!"

Aryl smirked mischievously. "Yeah, I'm ready to kick some a**!"

* * *

><p><em>(Amber's POV)<em>

Not long after Mom and Dad had saved us, Carne and I bumped into Denver, Snow, and Carmine. We decided to split up; Carne went with them, and I went on my own. According to Snow, she was having a hard time sensing Gio, Ry, and Coral; a pokemon had to be blocking her empathy. She could barely feel his emotions. She assured us that everyone else was okay, including all the adults. So I could go off on my own and not have to worry about backup if I needed it. And it turned out I only really needed Juno out of her poke ball to battle any grunts I came across.

I just hoped that those three were okay—especially Pyrite and Gio. They were the ones I was adamant about finding. I needed to know they were all right. It made me incredibly nervous knowing that something may be wrong.

Walking around the cruise ship gave me time to think, something I needed to do badly. Those two boys had me so confused I had no idea anymore. But I was sure of one thing, and one thing only—I _liked_ Pyrite Kimu. My feelings for him were strong, stronger than friendship or sibling-like affection. As for Giovanni Sakaki... my feelings for him weren't nearly as strong, but they were similar in nature. That was what had me confused.

"_Amber!"_

I nearly jumped out of my skin at the sound of Gio's voice in my hand; I almost panicked. What if he heard what I was thinking?!

"_Sorry! My gallade is transferring my thoughts to you! I need you on the front deck, near the command center! Morgana's here; her Shadow Triad brought me to her earlier, and now brought Pyrite and Coral too for some reason. Please hurry, Amber! We're going to need your help!"_

Sh*t! "Okay! I'm coming!" Whups, he might not here that. _Okay, I'm coming._

"_Thank you so much! Gallade and I are leaving now!"_

"_What was that about?"_ Juno asked me from my shoulder, her ears twitching.

"Our friends need help," I said, pulling out a poke ball. "There's no time to waste. Jupiter!"

The black charizard appeared before me. He unfurled his wings, stretching a bit. I walked around him, and climbed onto his back. He turned his head to look back at me, waiting for orders.

"Take us to the front deck, where Pyrite, Gio, and Coral are," I told him. "And hurry!"

He grunted, nodding, looking ahead again. Jupiter launched himself up into the air, pumping his wings powerfully as he took off. In moments, we were flying wickedly fast over the ship. The wind whipped my ponytail back, tearing some strands of hair out from the ribbon's hold. It didn't take us long to get to the other end of the ship. I could see Morgana standing in front of the point of the ship, her d*mned sylveon sitting on the ledge. My three friends were all standing much farther away from Morgana, each with a pokemon out. Gio's gallade was with him, of course, and Pyrite had Fehler out. I didn't know much about Coral's pokemon, but she had a furret with her.

Jupiter tactfully dropped down in front of all three of them, startling them. I slid off of the charizards back, facing my friends.

"Ry! Gio! And Coral! Are you guys okay?!" I demanded, almost frantic.

"Amber!" Gio exclaimed, looking relieved. "Morgana is the queen of Team Plasma! Lancelot is the king, but he's somewhere else! See, I _knew_ I saw them from somewhere!"

"What?!" I gasped.

"_Holy crap!"_ Juno cried.

But... how would Gio even recognize them? Was there something he wasn't telling us?

"It's true," Coral said, looking grim. "She brought us here to talk to us, but she won't tell us why. She said one more person was needed."

"And that person has arrived," Morgana stated, sounding amused. "Amber Rosso-Senri, champion of the tournament and daughter of General Rosso-Senri of the Resistance. It would have been nice to get the daughter of the other general, but she seems too weak to be much of a threat."

"Don't talk about Quartz like that," Pyrite snapped, getting defensive about his cousin. "What do you want with us, anyway?"

I returned Jupiter to his poke ball, and the three of them stepped forward to where I was standing on me. Gio was on my left side, Pyrite on my right, and Coral was next to him. Gallade stayed by his trainer, already in a battle stance. Fehler stayed hovering above Pyrite, his wings making a faint buzzing noise. The furret stayed next to Coral. Morgana smiled, still entertained, and stepped closer as well; her sylveon jumped down off the ledge.

"I suppose I should properly introduce myself," she said, brushing her long hair behind her back. "I am Morgana, Queen of Team Plasma. We were resurrected eighteen years ago—the year I was born—right as my father realized that the Resistance was going to win. Humans and pokemon could not be allowed to reunite, and that is our goal—to re-liberate pokemon and return to our proper state before the War."

"That's insane!" I cried, my hands clenching into fists. "Pokemon and humans are meant to work together! We help each other out!"

"_Yeah!"_ Juno agreed adamantly. _"I would be so lonely if it wasn't for Amber!"_

"Ugh." Pyrite grimaced painfully. "I thought we were done with putting up with this kind of crap."

"We're meant to be together," Gio agreed. "Even Team Rocket can see that!"

There he went, talking about Team Rocket again, in front of Team Plasma, no less.

Morgana scowled. "Don't mention them! Team Rocket is the enemy! We will rise above them and wipe them off the face of the earth!"

"But you have pokemon," said Coral. "Aren't you being hypocritical?"

She had a very good point, as usual.

Morgana closed her eyes. "We never said the queen and king would give up pokemon, did we?"

"Hypocrite!" I snapped. "You just want to have pokemon so you'll be the strongest! You're just using them! You're no better than that b**tard Ghetsis!"

Her eyes flashed. "Don't compare me to that imbecile, brat!"

"We'll just defeat you again," said Pyrite, icy anger in his voice. "Just like last time. The Government won't be allowed to rise! Not after what our parents sacrificed to get there!"

Morgana smiled smugly again. "Ah, yes, your parents. That is why I called you here."

Gio blinked in confusion. "Huh?"

"The High Commander of the Resistance—Amethyst Kimu—is your father. You were born when he was very young, and he disappeared before you—Pyrite—were even born. He _abandoned_ you." Ry looked like he was getting really p*ssed off now. "I know why."

"What?" Coral gasped, her red eyes widening. "How would _you_ know?!"

"Not long after the end of the War, the 'Big Three' as you called them, noticed the backlash of the pro-Government people. Even Rosso-Senri, whose frame of mind was very unstable due to lack of sanity and pregnancy hormones-"

"EXCUSE ME?!" I shrieked, exploding. "ARE YOU F*CKING CALLING MY MOM NUTS, B*TCH?!"

_Nobody. Talks. Sh*t. About. My. Family._

"Amber," Pyrite said, sounding irritated. "Shut up and let her talk. I want to hear this."

I glared at him, but shut my mouth, silently seething inside.

Morgana smiled again, content as ever. "As Kimu was busy with many things—Resistance and personal—he asked Kuro to investigate. Kuro discovered the beginnings of Team Plasma. My brother—Lancelot—was merely two years old at the time and had already begun his training for kingship. Our father had stumbled across records of the first Team Plasma's plans, which he decided to model ours after. Kimu stated that this uprising would get nowhere and should be left alone. But he was terribly wrong."

Obviously...

Pyrite narrowed his eyes. "What does this have to do with my dad leaving us?"

Morgana laughed. "I'm getting there, impatient boy. Years later, upon personal investigation, Amethyst Kimu discovered that Team Plasma was still growing, and in due time—by the time most of the Resistance's children were teenagers—would be at full strength. And that is exactly what is happening."

Pyrite scowled; I could feel the anger radiating off of him. It was kind of scary...

"What are you hiding?" he demanded.

Morgana pulled out an old bronze pocket watch out of the pocket in her dress. She tossed it towards us, and it hit the ground, sliding to a halt at Pyrite's feet. Frowning, he reached down to pick it up. We all looked at it as he popped it open.

Inside the lid, opposite the clock, was an old, faded photograph of the Kimus—Amethyst was holding a four-five year old Aqua, and a very pregnant Diamonda had a two-three year old Coral. They were smiling, like they were happy. I looked at Pyrite, and then Coral. Both of their eyes were wide in shock.

"...Where... Where did you get this?" Pyrite breathed.

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile...<em>

_(Bronze's POV)_

The fog was gone.

Well, the fog that was my second personality. I had no idea what had snapped me out of it, or what even was going on. All I knew was that my sister was in danger and I had to protect her. Luce was already out and had defeated the Team Plasma grunt—well, I _think_ it was Team Plasma. I was disoriented because like always, switching personalities made me forget what I had been doing before as my other self.

"Bronze?!" I heard Galena cry. "Are you okay?! You look kinda funny..."

...She hadn't seen me like this for years. How was she going to react? Or was I just making a weird face because I was confused?

"...I'm fine," I responded. "Just... trying to gain my bearings."

Her emerald green eyes widened. "B-Bronze?"

I cracked her a weary smile. "Not used to seeing me like this, huh?"

My little sister was almost a different person. She was of average height, and her deep red hair was long and smooth. She looked a bit older than thirteen, much to my chagrin. My little sister wasn't little anymore. I would have to protect her from other things now—such as boys—but I couldn't do it when my mind was controlled by my immature, childlike, ADHD other self. Argh. I just couldn't win, could I?

My lucario returned to my side, and Galena slowly stood up and walked up to us. Her eyes were still as wide as saucers as she gawked at me. I ran a hand through my unkempt hair; my other self didn't really care that much about appearances and hygiene. My clothes were wrinkled, and I probably looked like a mess.

"Bronze..." Galena was still stunned, but she was trying to get a grip on herself. "Are you... my big brother again? Not the little brother I have to watch out for?"

"Yes," I said.

Her bottom lip quivered, and she threw herself at me, glomping me in a hug, and pressing her face into my chest. It caught me off guard; I almost didn't know how to react. I put my arms around her and squeezed her back. I guess, even after all this time, Galena really just wanted her big brother back... so she didn't have to take care of the both of us. Lena may act strong, but really, she was just a little girl who wanted to be loved and cared for. I used to do that, even when we were so young, before whatever incident that made me like this happened.

"It's okay," I said gently. "I'm here now. You don't have to try so hard."

I heard her whimper. Oh Arceus no, was she crying? I didn't know how to handle tears.

"I missed you so much," she cried. "I missed my big bro so much..."

But... with that other self of mine... I wouldn't be here very long... My sane self was not the dominant personality. I wish I could think this clearly and intellectually all the time. But _noooope_, it sure doesn't work that way.

"Well, Lena, I'm here for as long as I can be," I told her softly.

She pulled away, and wiped her eyes, nodding. "Yeah..." She gulped. "I-I'm okay now... Thanks for saving me from that grunt..."

I nodded, pursing my lips. "Of course, Lena." I thought for a moment. "Is Opal here?"

She blinked, and shook her head. "No, sorry... She's not on the cruise."

My face fell. "Oh. I see. So this is a cruise?" I sighed. "I wish I could remember..."

"It's not your fault, Bronze," she said quietly.

"I suppose so. What exactly is going on?"

"Team Plasma attacked our ship," she told me. "So Aunt Topaz asked us all to pitch in to kick them off. They're going around stealing people's pokemon! We have to stop them, Bronze!"

Oh, for the love of Arceus. "All right. I'm assuming that their leaders are on board. We should try to find one of them."

"That's a great idea!" my sister exclaimed. "You're so brilliant, Bronze!"

"Ahahahaha..." I rubbed the back of my head awkwardly. "If you say so. Let's go find the big fish, all right?"

She nodded. "If we work together, there's no way we can lose!"

I grinned. "Definitely! Now let's get going!"

…

It didn't take us long to find the big fish, as I had called him. He was at the far end of the back of the boat, the area we were closest to. He was standing with his back to us, watching the motionless see. The cruise ship—dubbed the S.S. Calvary as my little sister had told me—had been stopped by Team Plasma's own ship, which was why we weren't moving.

"You?!" Galena gasped. "Lancelot?!"

Huh? She knew him? How? He looked a bit too old.

Lancelot turned around; he looked about twenty or so, and kind of... feminine. He had dark brown hair and silvery-blue eyes. I was taller than him, and he was much thinner and almost willowy. He probably could easily pass as a girl if he tried. None of his features were masculine. I didn't really know what to think of him.

"Oh. I seem to have been found." His eyes flickered to me. "You seem... different."

"...You could say that," I deadpanned.

Luce seemed tenser than normal; had we met before? I couldn't remember.

"You're the King of Team Plasma?!" Galena demanded.

"Yes," Lancelot replied, still calm. "I am the King, along with Morgana as the Queen."

Galena blinked. "But she's your sister... That's like Bronze and me..."

"What the heck?" I breathed, my eyes wide. "Are you serious?"

Lancelot frowned. "I love her... Aren't you supposed to marry the one you love?"

Oh. My. Arceus.

"That's incest!" Galena shrieked, absolutely horrified. "No no no _no_! That's a _bad_ ship! _Baaaaaad_ ship! Oh my Arceus, what is _wrong_ with you?! I love my brother, but not like _that_!"

"Likewise," I said, horrified myself, completely ignoring the fact that my sister still shipped people.

Lancelot sighed, and closed his eyes. "No one understands our love. Not even the grunts."

I think I was going to be sick.

"Okay, enough," I said, trying to not make a face. "You need to call off the grunts now."

Lancelot met my gaze steadily. "I'm afraid I can't do that."

"Why not?" I countered, narrowing my eyes.

"We are here to make a statement," Lancelot stated. "To reveal  
>ourselves to the world. To let them know the Resistance will not get away with their tyranny. If you want us to leave, you will have to defeat us."<p>

"Well," I said, rolling my shoulders. "That can be arranged. I challenge you to a battle!"

Lancelot snorted. "You really are different, Bronze Berlitz-Palmer. I accept."

"Be careful," Galena warned, determination burning in her eyes like green fire. "I know you can do this, big bro! You're really strong!"

I nodded, and Luce tensed, prepared for another battle. "I will end this."

* * *

><p><em>Back at the front deck...<em>

_(Amber's POV)_

Morgana laughed. "Your father, of course."

Pyrite scowled. "What did you do to him?!"

She waved him off. "Me? Nothing. He merely dropped this and we confiscated it."

"What do you mean?" Coral asked, her eyes narrowed.

I glanced at Gio; he seemed completely clueless. He had as much of an idea of what was going on as I did. And he already seemed to know a lot about Team Plasma. Hmmm...

"Amethyst Kimu, as far as we know, abandoned his family to chase after us—Team Plasma. He must have taken a picture with him, and put it in his pocket watch. Somehow, he dropped it in a scuffle with some grunts. Merlin, our wizard, found it. I thought you would like it back."

Pyrite closed the pocket watch, and gripped it so tightly that his knuckles were turning white. I watched him carefully, wondering what he was going to do now. I had a feeling, whatever it was, it wasn't going to be pretty. He was on the verge of exploding with rage.

"My father... left us... to chase after Team Plasma?!" Pyrite retorted. "Why the hell didn't he say anything?! Doesn't he realize what he put my mom through?!"

"Pyrite..." Coral sighed, her eyes flickering down to the floor.

This... was painful for both of them, wasn't it? I wished there was something I could do to make them feel better... But I was useless in this situation. Why were Gio and I even here? Morgana was just talking to Pyrite and Coral.

"I suppose he cares more about defeating the remnants of the Government than his own family," Morgana laughed.

That was the _last_ thing you wanted to say in front of Pyrite.

"SHUT UP!" he exploded, his temper finally blowing. "I won't let you talk about my father that way! Fehler!"

The yanmega let out a loud buzz, lunging forward at the Queen of Team Plasma. But then the strangest thing happened. A metal claw came shooting out of the middle of nowhere—probably from the Plasma frigate—and latched down around Fehler's torso. Before any of us could _breathe_, much less even react, the yanmega was yanked up onto the ship, out of our reach.

"FEHLER!" Pyrite cried out, his eyes wide with shock. "NO!"

Oh my Arceus oh my Arceus _oh my Arceus_-

"I've _had_ it!" Coral snapped, the fiercest look on her face that I had ever seen before. "I won't tolerate this!" She took out a poke ball. "Go, Mega-kun!"

Coral's meganium appeared before us. The starter pokemon stomped his foot, looking pretty irritated himself. Just then, I heard footsteps behind us.

"Queen Morgana!" a grunt exclaimed.

D*mmit!

"I'll take care of him," Gio said, looking at me. "You calm down Pyrite, okay?"

I just stared at him, confused as ever. Gio made absolutely no sense. He made his feelings for me obvious. He had to know that something was going on between Pyrite and me, right? But yet he told me to go help Pyrite. If he knew, he held no ill will towards Ry. Yet Pyrite had made it pretty obvious that Gio got on his nerves sometimes. Why, in the name of Arceus, couldn't these boys just make things easy for me?!

But now was not the time to think about this.

Pushing the thoughts out of my mind, I nodded. "Right. Be careful."

He smiled at me. "Of course. Come on, Gallade."

The pokemon nodded, and then the two went off to where the grunt was. Suddenly, the boat lurched, like it was tipping downward. I yelped, falling down on my a**, and Juno was thrown from my shoulder. Pyrite was knocked down as well, but Gio and Coral managed to stay on their feet, as did Morgana and the pokemon. D*mn, that f*cking hurt.

I looked over at Pyrite and was nearly shocked sh*tless. Pyrite rarely ever showed any emotion; he liked to keep his feelings secret most of the time. But now... he... he looked absolutely devastated. _Tears_ were filling his eyes—Pyrite never, ever cried. He just didn't. Not because he was strong or was a male and 'real men don't cry' or whatever. Crying was just something that Pyrite Kimu did not do. And it _scared_ me to see him on the verge of tears.

"F-Fehler..." He squeezed his eyes shut and tears began to silently stream down his face. "Fehler!"

What was I supposed to do?! I was used to being comforted, not the one comforting. But I had to help him... I _had_ to make him feel better. Not only because he had done the same for me, but because I cared for him so much. I pushed myself onto my knees, and scooted over to where Pyrite was sitting. I did the only thing I could think of—I hugged him.

"They took him," he whispered to me, so much pain in his voice. "Oh my Arceus, they got Fehler...!"

I could understand what Pyrite was feeling, even if I hadn't felt it myself. I had no idea what I would do if something ever happened to Juno—whether she got stolen or really hurt or _worse_... She was my inseparable partner, my first pokemon ever. Fehler was Pyrite's inseparable partner. It had to hurt so much... I practically felt like I was feeling his agony myself. I hugged him tighter.

"I know, I know," I breathed, not knowing what else to say. "It's going to be okay... We'll get him back, Ry..."

He shook his head, and started pushing me away. No! He had always been there for me; he always had managed to make me feel better. But now, when _he_ needed _me_, I couldn't help him. I was a pathetic failure... One more failure after another... The only success I had recently was the tournament, but what was that compared to helping the boy I liked?

"Ry, please," I begged, getting frantic—Amber and frantic were the worst possible combination ever, because that was when I got rash and did stupid things. "I swear to Arceus, we will get him back. I _promise_. Please, please, just calm down! Everything is going to be okay! Fehler will be okay! Please just listen to me... _Please_..." I was on the verge of tears myself now.

He just stared at me, the tears still falling down his face, and he had yet to let out a single sob. How could one cry like that? But this was my opportunity. I hugged him again, but this time I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his cheek.

"It will be okay..." I murmured, my voice surprisingly steady as my heart was racing a mile a minute. "I cross my heart, Ry... You're not alone..."

Even as I pulled back, I could feel my cheeks burning from something that _I_ did. And all it was was a kiss on the cheek—nothing incredibly life shocking, not compared to what I did in the Pokemon Tower. But apparently by body thought otherwise.

"You're... You're right," Pyrite finally said, lifting his arm up to wipe his face. "Sorry..."

Holy sh*t... did that really just work?! Guess I just had to shock him... Then I remembered that Gio must have been still battling the grunt. F*ck!

"Gio-" I started, about to pull away and abruptly turn around.

"Is fine," Pyrite said, a slight edge to his voice. "Have some confidence in him. He's not a weakling. His Gallade is beating the crap out of that grunt's krookodile."

I glanced behind me, and just like he said, Gio's Gallade was totally owning the krookodile. I could feel that it was almost done for. Holy sh*t, that was amazing! I had never really thought that Gio would be a tough battler for some reason...

I looked over at Coral now. "Your sister's doing great, too..."

I pulled away this time, and took Pyrite's hand to help him stand up. My tailbone still hurt a little from that fall, d*mmit. Finally, Gallade finished off the grunt's krookodile. The grunt looked shocked, and hurried off, saying something about back up.

"D*mmit," I growled as Juno finally returned to my shoulder. "We gotta cover Coral so she can finish off that b*tch."

Gio turned around to face us, and looked relieved. "Are you okay, Pyrite?"

...Thank Arceus he didn't see what I did there. If Pyrite was surprised by the other boy's friendliness, he didn't show it. D*mmit, these boys had me all so f*cking confused!

"I'm fine now, thanks," he said, taking about another pokemon. "We'll... find Fehler as soon as we can. But right now we need to get Team Plasma off the ship."

Gio nodded, determination in his silver eyes. "Right! Let's work together!"

I wish I felt as confident as he sounded...

"_I'm ready to kick some butt!"_ Juno declared.

"Well," I said to her, trying to sound assured, "you'll get your chance soon, Juno!"

She grinned maliciously. _"Oh, don't I know it! Hehe!"_

Sometimes, I swore Juno was just as sadistic as her father, Raiden. This was one of those times.

* * *

><p><em>(Bronze's POV)<em>

"Luce!" I exclaimed. "Use Aura Sphere!"

The lucario leaped up into the air, forming a ball of aural energy between his paws. The powerful attack shot towards Lancelot's zoroark. The pokemon tried to move out of the way, but Luce was just too fast for him. The Aura Sphere hit the zoroark square in the chest, and it was thrown back, knocked out in one hit.

"Yay!" Galena cheered with Buffy. "You did it, big bro! I knew you could!"

Lancelot scowled, returning his zoroark to its poke ball. "You are stronger than I expected."

I shrugged. "I get that a lot."

"Bronze! Galena!"

I glanced behind me to see Copal and Aryl running up to us. It was a shock for me, seeing them older as my sane self. Copal really had grown to be a beautiful young woman. Aryl was pretty too, but in a rugged, simpler way. They both skidded to a halt, shocked to see that we had been confronting Lancelot.

Copal's eyes widened with shock. "You! I should've known it was you!"

Aryl scowled. "So you're the King of Team Plasma, huh?"

"Copal! Aryl!" my little sister exclaimed. "Bronze already defeated him."

"I can see that," Copal said, putting her hands on her hips. "So, Lancelot. It's over. Call Team Plasma back and get off this ship."

He laughed. "I can't do that unless Morgana agrees. And in order for her to agree, she must be defeated as well."

Copal's eyes widened again. "Morgana?!"

"She's his Queen," I said distastefully. "Don't think about it too much."

"What do you—oh _sh*t_!" Aryl exclaimed. "Uh, well, we need to find her and kick her a** too!"

"Maybe that's where Coral is," Copal gasped. "Come on, let's go!"

"We're coming with you!" Galena declared adamantly.

"A'ight—wait a sec!" Aryl furrowed her brow, staring at me. "Bronze, you're oddly calm. And your hair is neat... Are you your other self?!"

"Yes," I sighed; why did she have to say that in front of the enemy?

"Oh my gosh!" Copal gasped, her eyes widening once more.

"GROUP HUG!" Aryl declared before dragging Copal over and glomping both of us in a hug.

Galena giggled and joined in. I winced slightly as I was squeezed. Most boys would enjoy being close to pretty girls, but not me. I liked my personal space.

"Okay, okay," I said with a grimace. "That's enough. Can we get going now?"

Aryl laughed, and slapped me on the back, nearly knocking me forward. "Jeez, Bronze, you sure haven't changed one bit! Copal-chan and I don't have cooties~!"

"S-Shut up," I stammered, feeling my cheeks flush. "That has nothing to do with it."

Galena giggled some more and they finally let me go. I was seriously embarrassed. And I bet Aryl and Galena were enjoying every minute of it.

"Knock it off, Aryl," Copal laughed, smiling. "Let's go find the others. We don't have all day, you know."

I beckoned Luce back over to me from where he had been standing in the back with Buffy. He obediently walked up to us, and the jigglypuff followed.

"Luce," I said. "Do you sense Coral and anyone with her?"

"_Yes,"_ he said, using his aural abilities to speak with us. _"She is... battling Morgana. Pyrite, Amber, and Giovanni are with her... battling other grunts."_

Copal gasped. "We have to hurry!"

Aryl nodded, now serious. "Yeah. C'mon!"

* * *

><p><em>(Coral's POV)<em>

Morgana was very powerful. But I was strong, too. I had been the first out of the three of us—Aryl, Copal, and me—to start training her pokemon. When I was young, I had had a strong desire to be as strong as my father when it came to pokemon. So I trained—and I ended up being the strongest in every single of my classes in elementary. No one had been able to defeat me; not even Aqua, before she ran away.

Now my interests had changed and I was no longer the strongest out of the three of us, but my pokemon were still powerful. Furry-chan, my furret, took down Morgana's sylveon—her final pokemon—after a long, brutal battle. I hadn't felt his triumphant since my first Gym leader battle.

...If only this win could restore my father's honor...

"Good job, Furry-chan," I said, calling her back to my side. "You worked hard."

She cooed, and rubbed her head against my side. I remembered the day that Uncle Grey gave her to me, when she was still a sentret. My dad should have been the one to give her to me... He should have been the one to do a lot of things for me. But he wasn't. My uncles were. I was very grateful for Uncle Grey and Uncle Goldy.

"How..." Morgana breathed, her purple eyes wide in astonishment. "How could a mere trainer defeat me?!"

"'Mere trainer'?" I scoffed, insulted. "Not only was my father the leader of the Resistance, but I have won both the Unova and Indigo League badges. I am not some 'mere trainer'."

Furry-chan let out an adamant cry, clenching her tiny paws into fists.

Morgana narrowed her eyes at me. "It's true, then. The descendents of the Pokedex holders are made of tougher essence than most others... How unfortunate."

I supposed that was true.

"Call off your precious Team Plasma," I ordered, my voice firm. "It's over."

Morgana closed her eyes. "Perhaps that would be the best maneuver. However, we still have made a statement." She reopened her eyes, and looked me straight in mine. "Team Plasma has risen again, and we will restore the Government to its former glory. The Resistance will fall, and humans and pokemon will be properly separated once more."

"That's bullsh*t!"

I glanced to the side to see my brother, Amber, and Gio running up to stand beside me.

"Nobody is gonna want to return to how things were before the War!" Amber retorted, angry. "We've come too far and lost too much to just give up! Our parents fought the War. They deserve a rest after all they've been through... So, you're going to have to deal with _us_. Their kids."

"You got that right," Pyrite growled. "I'm going to fight to the very end—and you're going to regret stealing Fehler. I promise you that."

They both were so determined, and their determination was so unified... I could see what Aryl was always teasing and joking about. I had no idea what was going on between my little brother and his friend, but whatever bond they shared—it was strong.

Looking back at Morgana, I nodded. "I agree. You best be prepared."

Morgana narrowed her eyes. "I accept your challenge."

* * *

><p><em>(Amber's POV)<em>

The aftermath was a total mess.

The ship was damaged by the Team Plasma frigate and the ice bombs they shot down at us—Navy, as the captain of the ship, employed Fire-type pokemon to go around and melt the ice. Jupiter was one of them. Guests were frightened. My mom was still absolutely livid, and I don't know if you noticed but my mom was f*cking terrifying when she was p*ssed.

After giving our personal accounts and sending off our fire pokemon to get to work, Mom called Pyrite and me to speak with her, Dad, Grey, and Fiori. They were standing off to the side, looking very serious and concerned.

"Yeah, Mom?" I asked, wondering what was up.

"There's one more thing we need to clear up," she said, her arms crossed over her chest.

"You said that the Queen—Morgana—seemed to know some things about what Am has been up to?" Grey asked, a perpetual frown on his face.

Pyrite grimaced. "Yeah... She gave me this." He pulled the pocket watch out of his jeans' pocket. "Is it familiar?"

Fiori's eyes widened. "Y-Yeah... Our dad gave it to him. To keep track of time. Since we were too young to have pokegears and the like..."

"Am used it a lot, from what I remember," said Dad, frowning slightly. "He was always pulling it out to check the time... even though he had a pokegear and a Pokedex..."

"There's no way he would just drop it," said Grey, looking troubled.

Pyrite was frowning now, too. "What are you getting at?"

The four of them exchanged glances, like they were trying to decide whether to say something or not. It kinda unnerved me... It was bad, wasn't it?

"He's in trouble, isn't he?" I dared to us. "Amethyst?"

Mom grimaced. "He may be... Idiot. I swear, he was always adamant about doing things himself. We could have handled this together, just like before!"

"He probably thought this was for the best..." Fiori sighed. "When we find him, I'm going to have to smack him. Sometimes _Goldy_ has more sense between the two of them."

"I'll inform the Indigo League," said Grey, looking back at us. "And I'll look into finding Fehler."

Pyrite's eyes widened. "T-Thanks, Uncle Grey..."

"It's the least I can do," he sighed, like he was suddenly weary.

"I'll inform the others, let them know what's up," said Dad.

"Don't forget Team Rocket," I blurted. "We're... dealing with two criminal groups now... not just one."

"But they're both connected to the Government somehow," Pyrite sighed.

"Team Rocket... and Team Plasma..." Mom frowned. "I'll investigate Team Rocket the best I can. Grey, you should handle Team Plasma."

He nodded. "Yes. Don't worry about it. They seem to be the bigger threat right now."

"You kids are probably all tired out," said Fiori, looking at the two of us. "Go rest. We'll make sure your pokemon get back to you, okay?"

Pyrite nodded, and he did looked tired. "Okay. Thanks, Aunt Fiori." Then to me: "Come on, Amber."

Yeah, I was pretty exhausted. All that adrenaline had long left me. I was surprised I hadn't collapsed yet. Jeez.

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm whupped. Bye!"

And with that, Pyrite and I left, eventually splitting to go to our own rooms. I crashed as soon as I hit the bed, falling fast asleep.

* * *

><p><strong>EARLY UPDATE<strong>

**Man, this is a really long chapter, and very eventful and important. I had a lot of fun writing this!**

**That's right, Team Plasma is also involved, not just Team Rocket!**

**And Team Plasma is why Am left his family...**

**What other secrets are the parents hiding?**

**REVIEWS ARE LOVE**


	23. 21: Dancing Under the Staryu

**EVERMORE**

**~Sequel Of The Forever Trilogy~**

**Chapter 21**

**Dancing Under the Staryu**

_Thursday, September 15, 5018._

_(Amber's POV)_

Just like I expected, the ball was postponed until the next day—today. I had to get up early with everyone else to help start setting things up. They were _supposed_ to be set up yesterday, but Team Plasma's attack messed everything up. Carne and I still got up later than some of the others because we only found Pyrite and Dodge still eating breakfast.

"Morning," I sighed, sitting down across from them.

I could faintly feel the glare I received from Carne for making her sit across from Dodge. Ha. She would just have to deal with it, because I wasn't moving. I was still kinda tired from what happened yesterday. It had been majorly draining.

"Good morning," Pyrite responded absentmindedly as he opened his father's pocket watch for probably the millionth time already today.

"...What's with him?" Carne asked, actually turning to Dodge; I was so proud of her!

"He's been staring at that thing all morning," Dodge sighed tiredly. "He won't put it down."

"It's the only picture he has of his dad..." I said, looking down at my own tray of food.

Dodge probably shrugged. "I guess so..." Well, I figured I knew how to catch his attention. "Where's Gio?" I asked, looking back at Dodge.

Sure enough, Pyrite looked up from the watch. "What?"

Dodge ignored him. "He's off somewhere. Said something about having to call his dad."

"That a**hole?!" I cried. "Ugh, he doesn't deserve any d*mn recognition."

They all just stared at me.

"What?" I retorted defensively. "Don't look at me like that..."

Pyrite sighed, looking down at his dad's pocket watch. "I wonder if Fehler's okay..."

Oh, man. Of course he was still thinking about that. But what could I say to make him feel better? D*mmit, I couldn't wait to make Team Plasma pay for this.

"Hey... I'm sure he's okay," I said finally, trying to sound reassuring. "And we'll get him back, I promise! Don't worry about it..."

He didn't say anything at first, just staring at the pocket watch. "Yeah, I guess..." He closed the watch, and stood up. "I'm done. I'll see you guys later."

He picked up his tray, and left. Dodge, Carne, and I sat in silence once he was gone. My appetite was gone. But then, out of the blue, Carne smacked me upside my head.

"Ow!" I cried. "What was that for?!"

"You are so dense as Cory sometimes, I swear!" my distant cousin exclaimed in exasperation. "Pyrite as already in a mood, and you just _had_ to mention Gio!"

"What does _Gio_ have to do with anything?!" I retorted.

"Oh, Arceus," Dodge groaned. "I am so done with all of you."

The thing was, I knew exactly what she was talking about. I had just been trying to get his attention, and it backfired. Everything I did backfired. Would I ever be able to do something and not mess up?

* * *

><p><em>(Corundum's POV)<em>

Dad and I had just managed to finish Amber's new dress in time. And personally, I thought it was perfect. Now we just needed to get her to try it on.

That is, if I could _find_ her.

"Where the heck is my sister when you need her?" I complained to Kiki, who was following me at my feet. "Seriously, where-"

"-then you gotta grab her and kiss her," Aurum was saying to Gio. "She'll _love_ that. Heh."

"Uh, I don't know," Gio said hesitantly, looking uncertain. "I don't know she'd like that..."

...Wait a second.

"Aurum, you better not be talking about my sister," I said, approaching them with narrowed eyes, Kiki dutifully by my side.

Aurum nearly leaped ten feet into the air. "Oh, uh, I'm totally not, cuz! Just... y'know... giving ol' Gio here some girl advice." He slapped the older boy on the back.

"Which involves my sister because he's taking her to the ball tonight," I deadpanned. "Are you _trying_ to mess things up?"

Kiki let out a low growl as if to back me up.

"Anyways, shouldn't you be helping to set things up with everyone else?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Aurum scowled. "Who are you, my mother?! Arceus, lay off, Cory."

I didn't know what was wrong with my cousin. He had been acting a lot different the past few months. He seemed kind of angry, if you asked me. Not like Amber angry, but just more aggressive. Like now. I almost didn't know how to react to his outburst.

"Well, if I was, you'd be dead," I said. I knew Aunt Sapph hated it when Aurum acted all perverted. "Come on Gio. You're better off with me."

"Uhhhh, okay," he said, stepping up to me.

Something told me as we walked away that Aurum was really mad at me. But someone needed to knock some sense into him.

* * *

><p><em>(Galena's POV)<em>

Finally, it was time for the ball! I was going with Bronze, who was still his calm self. I was surprised that he had lasted this long; maybe he was here to stay! That would make me so happy! I would have my real brother back...

"Are you all set, Lena?" he asked me.

Bronze had cleaned himself up really well. I almost couldn't recognize him. His dark red hair was the neatest I had ever seen it, his bangs falling into his silver eyes. He was wearing a black tuxedo, with a red bowtie. I kinda wished Opal was here to see him... It would make him so happy and so nervous at the same time, hehe!

As for me, I was wearing an emerald green dress that went down to my knees, with straps going around my neck. I had managed to curl my hair, keeping it down. For shoes, I wore heels the same color as my dress, giving me an extra inch in height so I wouldn't feel so short.

"Yep!" I exclaimed, linking arms with him. "I'm so excited! I can't wait to see all my ships!"

He sighed, exasperated. "Of course you are."

I giggled. "It's the best part, since I don't have a boyfriend!"

"You're just like Mom," he groaned.

"You say that like it's a bad thing!" I pouted.

He rolled his eyes. "Come on. We don't want to be late."

And with that, Bronze and I headed off to the ballroom. The decks were packed with people, so it took us a while to make our way through, much less find any of our friends. The first guys we found were Pyrite and Dodge.

"Ry! Dodge!" I exclaimed, pulling away from my brother and bounding up to them. "Heeeey!"

I must have shocked them, because they both started a little, turning around to face me. This was probably the one time I had seen Dodge without his sunglasses, so it was a little disorienting. Both boys looked really nice.

"Oh, hey, Galena," Dodge greeted me. "Where's Bronze?"

"I'm right here," he deadpanned, having caught up with me. "I'm surprised you two don't have dates."

Dodge made a face. "Girls are annoying."

"Hey!" I huffed.

Pyrite didn't say anything; he kinda looked angry just thinking about it. I wondered what happened. Did he ask a girl and she said no? No, that couldn't be it. Pyrite had been through a lot recently... because Fehler was stolen. I doubted his ship was fairing well either. And there was nothing I could do! Agh!

Bronze shrugged. "At least Aryl doesn't decide it's her job to harass you every moment of your life." He sighed. "Copal needs to smack some sense into her. _Literally_."

I waved him off. "Aryl just likes messing with you because you're easy to bother!"

He didn't look too pleased that I pointed that out.

"Guys! There you are!"

I turned to see Amber and Gio coming up to us. I waved to them, and they finally caught up to us.

Now, fashion wasn't my major thing, but wow, Amber's new dress was amazing! It had straps for sleeves, with straps crossing over each other as the neckline. The dress started out dark dark, and then faded to swirly gold patterns on the bottom. The skirt opened up in the middle to reveal white. Her golden hair was tied up with a white ribbon in a high ponytail, and she had a white high heels that weren't as tall as mine. An orange sword lily was pinned right before her ear, and she had a red and orange sardonyx bracelet.

"Wow, Amber!" I gasped. "You look gorgeous!"

"Huh?" she started, before flushing. "Thanks, Galena..."

I smirked playfully, and ignoring the look my brother gave me, turned to the two other boys. "What do _you_ think, guys?"

I got two reactions—Dodge just gave me a look, and Pyrite, well... He looked kinda shocked, and then something dripped from his nose before a whole waterfall of blood came pouring out. I almost cackled out loud, whups.

"Aaaaaah!" Gio yelped, snatching Amber by the hand and yanking her back, whose eyes were wide as saucers.

Oooooh, did she get what it meant? Hehehehehe.

"Agh," Pyrite groaned, covering his nose with his sleeve. "Why?!"

Dodge slapped his forehead. "You've got the worst luck, Ry."

"Once a Kimu, always a Kimu," I giggled.

Pyrite gave me a death glare. "Shut. Up."

Dodge sighed, grabbing Pyrite by his free arm. "C'mon, let's get you cleaned up."

Before he could respond, Dodge dragged Pyrite off. We all stood in awkward silence. Well, it was probably awkward for them, but not for me. I was freaking overjoyed. So my ship was still sailing smoothly ehehehehe!

"Get that smug look off your face," Bronze groaned.

I giggled and looked up at my brother innocently. "I don't know what you're talking about, big bro!"

He facepalmed this time. Amber looked insanely awkward, and she was blushing even more. Gio was completely clueless, a confused look on his face.

"I don't get it," he said.

"Can we just go inside now?!" Amber blurted.

Bronze sighed. "Sure. Might as well."

"Okie dokie!" I exclaimed. "I'm ready to parrrr_tay_!" I giggled some more.

My brother gave me a look. "I just hope nobody spikes the drinks."

Gio blinked, still confused. "What's that mean?"

"Let's just _go_!" Amber exclaimed with exasperation.

* * *

><p><em>(Copal's POV)<em>

I was incredibly nervous for no particular reason. Also, kind of irritated. Because _someone_ refused to wear a dress despite the fact that I told her she would look amazing in one. Aryl really hated looking feminine.

"Your dad's going to flip," I grumbled as we left our room.

She laughed, rolling her eyes. "He'll just be upset than I wear a tux better than he does."

"Oh Aryl," I sighed.

"C'mon, Copal-chan," she drawled, gently taking my hand and pulling me close. "You look like a goddess."

"S-Stop it," I stammered, pushing her away before she could kiss me. "Arceus, someone might see us."

She sighed heavily, shoving her hands into her pockets. "You can't keep us a secret forever, Copal-chan."

"Watch me," I retorted, walking ahead. "We need to find Coral-"

"Coral can wait."

I stopped. There was an edge to Aryl's voice. She sounded mad. Of course she was angry. I knew she didn't like that I had sworn our relationship to secrecy. My career could be ruined if the media found out. I had already risked it with Sally-

"You're ashamed, aren't you?" Her voice was cold and hurt. "Is that what it is? You're ashamed to be with me?"

"Aryl, that's not true." Even as I said it, my voice wavered a little.

"You're lying. You could look at me if you were telling the truth."

She knew me far too well... I couldn't bring myself to look at her. All my courage from the confrontation with Sally was gone. I was hurting Aryl again, just because I was a coward and cared what other people thought. I was dealing with a new kind of bullying now—the peer pressure of the world. But this was something I could never escape.

"I'm sorry. I'm just—I'm not as brave as you, Aryl. I'm not _ready_ to tell anyone. Please... understand that."

She was quiet for a moment. "Stop... demeaning yourself so much! You don't give yourself any credit, Copal." I heard her walk up to me, but I still couldn't bring myself to look at her. "I know how you feel, Copal... Believe it or not, I was there once too. But I guess I got over it faster. I've never really cared much about how others think. I just... _hate_ having to hide. I hate having to keep my feelings secret."

"I'm sorry..."

"Stop apologizing! Arceus, let's just go to the dance. Coral's probably wondering where we are."

Finally, I forced myself to look at her. Aryl was holding out her hand, trying to give me a reassuring smile.

I was... so lucky to have her.

I nodded, and took her hand. "Yeah... Let's go."

* * *

><p><em>(Dodger's POV)<em>

"You look miserable, bro."

Pyrite gave me a withering look. "That's because I _am_."

The ball had begun without us, after I had helped my friend with his nosebleed problem. We both knew what caused it, but neither of us acknowledged it. I didn't really want to acknowledge it anyways. It kinda weirded me out.

But, I couldn't help but feel bad for Ry. A lot of crappy things had been happening to him lately—though most recently it was his partner pokemon getting stolen and learning the truth about his father. I wished there was something I could do to cheer him up. Luckily for us, my dear little sister was nowhere in sight. I had no idea how he would take her crap right now.

"It could be worse," I said. "She could hate your guts, y'know."

He gave me a sour look. "She used to."

"Not really," I deadpanned.

"You look like you're just as unhappy as I am."

"Yeah, but for different reasons. I hate parties, dances, whatever."

"You hate everything, Dodge."

"I do not!"

"Do too."

"Do-"

"Stop bickering like an old married couple!" Carnelian snapped. "Yeesh, are you _trying_ to encourage Brooke?"

For some reason, Carnelian had come over to us. I guess she kinda looked pretty in her red dress, with her dark red hair up in a bun. But I didn't really care. She was annoying, and just had to bring my sister into this.

"Shut up," I snapped, glaring at her. "We are not."

"No, you're going to start bickering with Carne like an old married couple," Pyrite deadpanned.

Carnelian's face flushed the same color as her hair. "Shut up, Ry!"

Pyrite shrugged. "What's up, Carne? You bored, too?"

She sighed. "Yeah... Amber's melting down at the buffet. Everyone else is dancing. Arceus, I hate parties."

"Don't we all," I sighed. "Like, seriously. What's the point?"

"Don't ask me," Pyrite said. "I bet Aryl or Aurum is planning something to 'spice' things up, ugh..."

Carnelian made a face. "Arceus, that is so them. They'll probably spike the drink or something. Somebody is going to get drunk and make an idiot of themselves."

"Remind me not to drink any punch," I said.

"Well, how bad could it be?" Pyrite asked. "Nobody's gonna drink so much they get drunk." He paused. "...Right?"

"There's always one idiot," Carnelian sighed, shaking her head.

Pyrite looked out at the crowd. Out of curiosity, I followed his gaze. He had spotted Amber and Gio dancing. Amber looked insanely awkward, stepping all over Gio's feet. I couldn't help but feel sorry for the guy. He didn't once snap at her. He had some serious self-control—more than Pyrite, even. It was impressive.

I looked back at my best friend. His expression had darkened. Oh jeez, was he _jealous_? All of this drama was getting to be too much to take. All my friends were crazy. Dear Arceus. It was rough being the only sane man.

"I'm... gonna go for a walk," Pyrite said quietly. "I need... to think."

Carnelian frowned. "Okay, Ry... You don't have to come back if you don't want to."

"I know," he said, nodding. "But I promised Coral I'd take a photo with her, so I have to. I'll be back, so don't go anywhere, okay?"

I nodded. "All right. See you in a bit, then."

Just as Pyrite began to walk away, I saw Amber pull and bolt away from Gio, leaving the ballroom. I wondered what that was all about...

I looked back at Carnelian with distaste. "Looks like I'm stuck with you, huh."

She rolled her eyes at me. "Oh, shut up."

This was going to be one long night.

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile...<em>

_(Amber's POV)_

The ball was overwhelming. It freaked me out so much, I dragged Gio to the food buffet to get something to eat to calm my nerves.

There were so many people, dancing in so many different ways. There was formal dancing, and more modern dancing that I was familiar with. I tried to remember what my dad taught me about formal dancing, but my brain was starting to shut down because I was so freaked out.

Plus, I couldn't get it out of my mind that _Pyrite had gotten a nosebleed over me_.

"Argh," I groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose.

Gio was looking at me with concern. "Are you okay, Amber?"

I looked up at him; it was weird seeing him with his hair down. "I'm fine..." I lied.

He didn't seem too convinced. "Would you like to dance? That's better than just eating..."

I sighed, finishing off the half-eaten chocolate truffle in my hand. "Okay..."

His silver eyes lit up. "Great!"

He took me by the hand, and pulled me out onto the dance floor before I even had a chance to breathe. I started to panic; I couldn't remember a single thing my dad told me about dancing. Gio kept his hand holding mine, and then put his other hand on my waist. I tried not to jump; I wasn't used to people touching me there. I looked around to see how the other women were dancing, and then put my free hand on his shoulder.

"That's right," Gio praised me, a friendly smile on his face. Then he winced. "Just don't step on my feet."

"S-Sorry," I stammered, feeling my cheeks heat up.

We continued to shuffle like this, though I was sure I kept on stepping on his feet. I had never been this close to Gio before, and it only made me more aware of how attracted I was to him. Since he was older, he looked more mature. His shoulders were broader, and he had more muscle. I was surprised I hadn't started hyperventilating yet.

Boys were going to be the death of me—specifically Pyrite Kimu and Giovanni Sakaki.

"See? Dancing isn't so bad," Gio said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Um, yeah," I mumbled. "Y-You're really good..."

Seriously, I had tripped up like a gazillion times and hadn't knocked him down.

"My dad makes me practice," he said mareepishly, sweatdropping. "It's part of my lessons back at home."

"Oh." I bit my bottom lip. "Do you miss it? Home?"

He shook his head. "No way. I rather be with everyone... It's so much fun." He smiled down at me, making my heart flutter. "Especially you, Amber."

Kill me now.

I had to get away—I couldn't take it anymore. I was going to freak out and I didn't want to do that. I didn't want to hurt Gio. He was far too nice—he deserved someone much better than me. Snow would probably be really good for him.

I didn't deserve Pyrite either, if I was honest to myself.

"Um, I-I don't feel good," I blurted, desperate to get away. "I-I need some fresh air!"

Gio stopped, blinking in confusion. "Huh? What-"

I pulled away from him. "I-I'll be back in a bit!"

And with that, I rushed away, leaving the ballroom, wandering to the front deck, where the tip of the cruise ship was. The cool air was refreshing, chilling my bare skin in a good way. The moon was full, high up in the sky. The stars were thick, and I could make out a few constellations that my dad taught me. I walked up to the very tip of the ship, and leaned forward, resting my arms on the ledge.

It was beautiful, calm, and soothing—exactly what I needed right now to relax my nerves.

"Amber?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin, whipping around to face _Pyrite_ of all people. He raised his hands in a 'calm down' gesture, signaling that he meant no harm. I lurched backwards, my lower back pressing up against the ledge. I looked away, feeling my face burn as I remembered the incident earlier. D*mmit.

"O-Oh, Ry. It's you."

He seemed to hesitate. "...Are you okay?" he asked. "You left just about when I did."

Thank Arceus he didn't mention the nosebleed. I felt awkward enough.

"I-I'm fine," I stammered, still blushing. "I... I just needed to get away, that's all."

I forced myself to look at him. He looked... really nice... in that tux. He must have changed since blood got all over his first one. My stomach flopped, butterfree fluttering around in it again. There was only one reason he was making me feel this way, and I knew it. I doubted I could avoid it for much longer, not after everything that had been happening.

"Same," Pyrite said, giving me a skeptical look. "It's... a bit too much in there."

He seemed to hesitate again, before moving closer to stand next to me in front of the ledge. I turned back around, resting my arms back down on the ledge, and looked up at the sky. The full moon shone down brilliantly, illuminating everything around us. I wracked my brain for something to say.

"T-The stars are beautiful tonight," I blurted.

Of all the things I could say, _that_ was the only thing I could think of?!

Pyrite looked down at me, hesitating once more. "So are you."

...Did my brain finally malfunction?

"W-What?!" I gasped, blushing even more.

He looked away. "...I said you look beautiful. More than usual."

Pyrite... thought... I was... _beautiful_? My face continued to burn, but a good kind of warmth filled me, making me feel fuzzy all over, d*mmit. The butterfree in my stomach picked up speed. What, were they f*cking racing in there?!

"T-Thank you," I got out, staring at my arms like they were the most fascinating thing in the world. "Um... Y-You look... really nice... too..."

Way to go, Amber. You're so f*cking charming. I was surprised he hadn't ditched me yet. I was being so awkward.

"Thanks."

I was going to die, wasn't I?

"Is... Gio bothering you?" he asked quietly.

I started a little, and looked up at him with wide eyes. "W-What? No, he's just..." My voice trailed off, and I shook my head. What was I supposed to say without letting it slip that I thought I might be falling for him too? "He... makes me... feel uneasy. The way he's been acting lately... being so... direct." That wasn't a total lie.

He narrowed his eyes, but stayed silent.

"But..." I murmured. "I feel safe when I'm with you..."

Wait, what was I saying?! Maybe I just needed to vent...

"I'm sorry," I blurted for the millionth time today, trying not to panic. "I just... like talking to you..."

"...It's all right, Ambs," he sighed, staring out at the sea.

I looked back down at my hands, clasping them together. I had to get all of this out, or I was going to go crazy. And this was probably my only chance...

But instead, I blurted, "Is your nose okay?"

He started, and this time _he_ blushed. "Uh, yeah. It's fine. I-I don't know what caused that..."

I almost said, _I do_ but I stopped myself. "Okay, that's good..."

Now, he refused to look at me, and an awkward silence fell. I tried to summon my courage back and not blurt something stupid again. I could do this. I wasn't a wimp.

"Ry?" I practically whispered.

"Yeah?" he asked, slightly turning his head to look at me.

"Something's wrong with me."

He frowned. "...What do you mean?"

And I ended up blurting everything anyway and none of it probably made any sense.

"Every time I'm around you now... I get all jittery. Half the time, I can't stop blushing. I can't even think _straight_ half the time and I'm just so _confused_ and I don't know what to do—and at the Pokemon Tower, I just _lost_ it and you probably hate me for it and I'm _so sorry_ and now-"

"Amber!" he barked, cutting me off. "Calm _down_."

"But-" I began, starting to panic even more.

"Just _shut up_ for a second, will you?" he retorted. "_Arceus_, Amber, you're going to drive me mad someday."

I turned away, feeling like an embarrassed idiot. Oh, I was such a d*mn fool. Now he _really_ had to hate me. D*mmit.

"I'm sorry," I whimpered.

"Amber," he groaned. "I could _never_ hate you. Not when I..." His voice trailed off.

I swore my heart skipped a beat. "You what...?"

Did he... really...?

I felt him snag my hand and pull me around to face him. "Do I really have to say it?"

I couldn't breathe. I just stared up at him, my face hot and my heart racing. The butterfree in my stomach were going insane. He was no longer hesitating—he lifted his free hand to tilt up my chin.

"No," I whispered, and I knew it to be true.

He leaned down towards me, and I reached up the best I could. That desire from the Pokemon Tower was back—I wanted to kiss him so badly, every fiber of my being ached. Our lips were about to touch-

"Oh, there you are!"

We jerked apart, our kiss aborted before it could even start. And by none other than my dearest twin brother. But he seemed completely clueless about what we had been about to do, smiling ever so cheerfully as my face caught on fire and Pyrite looked like he wanted to jump off a cliff.

"C-Cory," I stammered, still embarrassed though he didn't even know what he caught us about to do. "W-What're you doing here?"

"Looking for you, of course," he replied, not bothered at all. "Gio is worried because you've been gone a while, so he asked me to help him look for you."

"Oh." My face fell. "I-I shouldn't keep him waiting then..."

Without another word, I tucked in my chin and hurried back to the ballroom. I couldn't bring myself to even glance at Pyrite. The whole thing just left me even more confused—did he really feel the same way about me as I did about him?

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile...<em>

_(Coral's POV)_

I could sense something was wrong between Aryl and Copal. I didn't know what it was, but they seemed more... distant. Aryl seemed to be smoldering about something, and Copal seemed down. But they didn't say anything to me. I supposed it was their own private matter, but it still hurt that my two best friends couldn't intrust me with information.

"What did Uncle Grey say?" I asked my cousin dryly; she had to know I was talking about the fact that she was wearing a tuxedo.

Aryl shrugged. "He was a little p*ssed off but Mom smacked some sense into him. Literally. It was _hilarious_."

Copal took a sip of her glass of punch, but then frowned. "Is it just me, or does this taste funny? Like, it has a bite."

I frowned as well. "What do you mean?"

Suddenly, Aryl began snickering. We both gave her confused looks. Copal's eyes widened as whatever it was hit her.

"Is that... _alcohol_?!" she gasped, horrified.

Aryl keeled over laughing.

"It's alcohol," I sighed.

"You spiked the drink?!" Copal shrieked.

"'Course I did," she snickered, standing up straight again.

"Why would you do something like that?!" Copal demanded, still horrified. "There are underage kids here—including ourselves!"

I sighed heavily. My cousin's antics would never end. She'd be playing pranks when she was ninety. That girl would never stop. It didn't help that her first pokemon was a zorua, either.

"Don't be such a goody-two shoes, Copal-chan," Aryl laughed. "You gotta live and have fun every once in a while! 'Sides, dances are boring. This'll liven things up, heh."

"_Liven things up_?!" Copal looked absolutely livid now. "Aryl, have you forgotten that _my mom is pregnant_?!"

Aryl blinked. "I only put half the bottle in, jeez. Of course I remember! Calm _down_, Copal."

"Ugh!" Copal made a face. "Can you ever take _anything_ seriously, Aryl?! When will you _grow up_?!"

Oh dear... This was probably the worst argument I had seen them get into. Aryl's eyes widened, and then narrowed, a scowl forming on her lips.

"I'm not immature," she retorted. "You're just too uptight! Why do I even bother trying to talk some sense into you?! Arceus d*mmit, Copal, you drain the fun right out of everything!"

"I do not!" Copal snapped. "_Excuse me_ for not finding the things you think are fun enjoyable! Why are you so thickheaded?!"

"You're the one who's too stubborn!" Aryl growled. "You won't even come out of the d*mn closet!"

"ENOUGH!" I exclaimed. "Both of you, _shut the hell up_!"

My cousin and friend both froze, probably shocked that I had actually yelled. I rarely, if ever, raised my voice. But I had had it with them. This argument was absolutely ridiculous.

"I have no idea what is going on between the both of you, but I'm not about to let my two best friends fight like total idiots," I spat icily. "You both should go outside and talk calmly and rationally and sort out your issues. Don't let your tempers get the best of you. Go, or I will _make_ you."

Neither of them questioned me. Still glaring at each other, they left the ballroom with each other. I sighed heavily once they were gone, feeling drained after having to deal with their idiocy.

"Hey, Coral. You look down."

Finn had approached me. He was looking rather dapper in a white tuxedo with a red tie. However, his curly strawberry blonde hair was still tousled, and his pale blue eyes still had that troublesome glint to them. I was too drained to be wary of him.

"Hello, Finn," I sighed. "Aryl and Copal were just having a ridiculous fight and I had to break it up and send them off."

He winced. "Yikes. That's no fun. Especially when it comes to those two."

"Indeed."

Finn tilted his head to the side, looking at me. I tried not to blush, wondering what he was doing. Finnian Kazuo never made any sense half the time.

"What?" I asked.

He laughed, smiling. "Nothing. You just look really cute in that dress."

This time, I did feel my cheeks heat up a bit. "Thank you."

He laughed again. "No prob, Coral." He paused, looking at me seriously this time. "Say, you wanna dance or something? Cade got snagged by some girl he knows. Hope Cinth doesn't find out. She may seem really calm and all, but she gets jealous really easy." He blinked as he realized he started rambling again. "Oh, whups. Anyways, you want to dance or not?"

"Um, sure," I said, hoping I wasn't blushing even more.

He beamed. "Sweet! C'mon, let's have some fun!"

* * *

><p><em>(Amber's POV)<em>

As the ball was ending, it was time to take pictures. But we had a slight problem.

Since someone had spiked the punch, poor Gio got drunk. And he was one of those drunks who could just _not_ hold it in.

"Who the hell did this?!" I demanded, hands on my hips, facing all my friends.

Galena was sitting next to Gio patting him on the back while he looked really green. We had managed to find a bucket for him to barf in, but it still wasn't pretty.

"It was probably Aurum or Aryl," Dodge deadpanned.

"Hey!" Aurum cried. "It wasn't me, I swear!"

"Stop blaming Aurum for everything!" Carmine snapped; she was wearing my first dress, but it didn't look very good on her, if you asked me. "He doesn't do those kind of pranks!"

"Jeez, don't get so defensive," Dodge sighed, sweatdropping.

Gio groaned. "I feel so sick..."

"I'm going to kick Aryl's a**," I growled.

"...That explains why I feel kind of funny," Pyrite muttered.

Dodge slapped his forehead. "Bro, we talked about this earlier."

"I think your sister already is, Amber," Carne told me. "I saw her yelling at Aryl about it earlier. It wasn't pretty."

"Serves her right," I grumbled.

"Ohhhh..." Gio groaned, leaning forward. "What was in the punch...?"

"We don't know yet," Galena said, patting him on the back. "Is there something we can give him to calm his belly?"

"Hmmmm..." Bronze frowned. "We should get an adult."

"I think Mom would be best," said Quartz. "Shall I get her?"

Bronze nodded. "Yeah, please, Quartz."

"I'll go with you," Cory said, standing up from his chair.

The two of them left, heading off to find Fiori. I wondered if the adults had figured out that the punch had been spiked. I hoped that none of _them_ were drunk. That would be bad.

"Amber..." Gio mumbled. "There's... sumthin'... I need'ta tell you..."

"Eh?" I blinked, confused. "What, Gio?"

...Maybe I shouldn't have encouraged him. Sh*t, wait-

"I... I... love..." But before he could finish the dreaded statement he threw up in the bucket again.

F*ck. Everything. Just. F*CK IT ALL. D*MMIT.

"...Was he about to say what I think he was?" Dodge asked incredulously, raising an eyebrow.

Pyrite did not look happy at all; but considering what nearly happened between us earlier, I didn't blame him. "Most likely." His voice was like ice.

I let out a strained laugh. "Aha... Ahahahahaha! Good one! We all know you love your jolteon, Gio!"

Carne slapped her forehead.

"No... s'not... Jolteon." Gio shook his head, but he looked like he was about to pass out any moment now. "I do love 'im, but I'm talkin' 'bout-"

He slumped back into his chair, passing out. An awkward silence fell. I wanted to go jump off the boat, but I had no Water-type pokemon to carry me to shore. I was pretty sure everyone had figured out what Gio wanted to tell me.

Aurum smirked, and opened his mouth to say something, but Xenon smacked him on his arm, and gave him a silent look. Much to my relief, my cousin shut his mouth and didn't say anything. I was embarrassed enough already.

"Well," said Dodge. "Cory and Quartz are coming back with Fiori."

Galena stood up. "Let's get Gio tucked in bed!"

This had been the worst dance in the world. And it had changed everything for me.

* * *

><p><strong>This wasn't very happy, I'm sorry. <strong>

**Anyways.**

**ALL OF THE SHIPS**

**Though not every ship was having a good time... Ahahahaha...**

**Summer had their first fight...**

**April and Steam both made some progress.**

**AND THEN THERE'S NORTH-SOUTH**

**AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA**

**It's not over yet either. You'll get the truth next chapter! There will be no more confusion!**

**And then there's Gio**

***coughs***

**Oh yeah, one more thing. I don't know when I'm doing the next Beta chapter, if ever. It's hard for me to find muse for the Betas, and honestly they're not as exciting. I'm sorry, but at this moment I rather stick to the Alphas' plot. Please don't ask again.**

**REVIEWS ARE LOVE**


	24. 22: Spritzee's Magician

**EVERMORE**

**~Sequel Of The Forever Trilogy~**

**Chapter 22**

**Spritzee's Magician**

_Saturday, September 17, 5018. _

_(Amber's POV)_

Yesterday—the aftermath of the ball—had been seriously crazy. Gio had a hangover, all of our parents were p*ssed at Aryl for spiking to drinks, and Copal and Aryl seemed to be at odds. But by the end of the day, everything seemed to have been resolved. Gio was feeling better, Aryl had received her sentence courtesy of her parents, and Copal seemed to have made up with her. I had no idea what was going on and I didn't want to know.

But today, the S.S. Calvary was docking in Castelia City, and all the guests on board would be heading to Nimbasa City for a day of fun. Mom reminded us to pack to be out all day, so I made sure I brought water, money, food for my pokemon, and extra snacks. I took out the stuff I didn't need from my bag to it wouldn't be too heavy. I reluctantly decided to leave behind my skateboard.

I really needed to start saving up for one of those high tech hoverboards. It would be f*cking awesome!

"All right," I said, swinging my bag up around my shoulder, the strap pressing against my chest. "I'm all set! C'mon, Juno!"

The pikachu leaped up from my bed, landing on my shoulder. Carne finally finished gathering up her things, and then we left the room. We didn't have to walk far until we bumped into Pyrite, Dodge, and Gio. They all appeared to be getting along fine, talking about something.

"Hey, guys!" I exclaimed, bounding up to them. "Are you excited for today?!"

Gio's eyes lit up. "Of course! I've never been to Nimbasa before. I've heard there's a lot of fun things to do there!"

"There's a rollercoaster, and I definitely want to ride that!" Carne said. "There's a Ferris Wheel, too, but that's more of a date thing."

...The Ferris Wheel, huh? From what I knew about it, you needed two people to ride. And like Carne said, it was typically only used by couples out on dates at the amusement park. But... that would be the perfect place for me to talk to Pyrite in private! I still wanted—and _needed_—to find out the truth. I couldn't ignore it anymore.

Dodge made a face. "Who cares about the Ferris Wheel? They were supposed to take it down ages ago, but they never did 'cause of the citizen's protests. It's a waste of funds, if you ask me."

Carne glared at him. "Of course you'd say that. You wouldn't know love even if it'd slap you in the face!"

And with that, she stormed off, probably to go find Galena or Quartz or maybe even Denver. I was kinda surprised—even though I knew that she had a crush on Dodge—that she had reacted that way. But she was right about Dodge.

"What's her problem?!" he demanded. "Jeez."

Pyrite and I both gave him looks, while Gio was completely clueless as always. I crossed my arms over my chest.

"She's right, you know," I deadpanned. "You're f*cking clueless, Dodge. Well, I'll see you guys later!"

I bounded away after my friend before any of the boys could say anything.

…

After what had happened at the ball, I had thought a lot about my feelings—feelings that I had been ignoring for a long time. Like I said earlier, I wanted and needed to find out the truth. All these years, I figured that I had been pushing back how I really felt and tried to convince myself of the opposite.

That was why I had been so sure that Pyrite was a pervert, and that I hated him... But it was the total opposite on both accounts.

Now, we were in the amusement park, and I was walking with the girls. Galena was gushing about every single thing she had to do while we were here.

"I have to ride the Ferris Wheel!" Galena exclaimed, her eyes twinkling with excitement. "I know it's usually for dates, but friends can ride it too!"

"I don't know about that..." Quartz murmured.

I edged away from my friends. "Uh, I'm going to see what the guys are up to!"

I dashed off before any of them could say anything. The boys were a little further ahead—that is, Pyrite, Dodge, Gio, Cory, and Denver. The triplets were somewhere else. I set down my skateboard, hopping up onto it.

"Yo!" I called, gliding up to them. "What're you guys up to?"

"Hey, Ambs," Denver greeted me, casual as ever. "Oh, we're just trying to convince Cory here to ask Quartz to ride the Ferris Wheel with him."

My brother's face was bright red. "Be quiet! And it's just you!"

"You should do it," I said with a firm nod.

They all stared at me like I had grown a second head.

"What?!" I snapped defensively. "I can't want my brother to get with the girl that he's been crushing on silently for most of his life?!"

...Wait, I said that really loud. Whups.

"A-Amber!" Cory cried, aghast.

Dodge snorted, rolling his eyes. "Like you're any better. We all know who _you_ like."

"We do?" Gio asked in surprise, his eyes wide.

Pyrite scowled at his friend. "Shut up, Dodge." Then he looked at me. "Why are you here, anyways?"

Sh*t, why did _he_ have to put me on the spotlight?! I almost _panicked_. Okay, maybe I still did.

"B-Because I want to ride the Ferris Wheel and you're coming with me!" I blurted. "C'mon, let's go!"

I snatched up my skateboard, grabbed him by the arm, and dragged him off before he could even respond. I let him go once we were far away enough, a bit embarrassed. Ugh, I was so stupid sometimes.

"S-Sorry," I stammered, my cheeks burning. "I just... need to talk to you. Alone."

"...All right," he said, avoiding eye contact, his voice quieter than usual. "But the _Ferris Wheel_?"

"I really do want to ride it," I muttered. "To see what it's like."

He sighed, looking away from me. "Fine..."

The walk up to the Ferris Wheel was awkwardly silent. I couldn't think of anything to say, and he wasn't making it easy. Luckily, there was barely a line, and we didn't have to wait long to board a car. It wasn't what I expected—there was only one bench to sit on. So here I was, riding the Ferris Wheel, all alone with Pyrite.

Even though that was what I wanted, it still made me insanely nervous. But I steeled myself—I could _do_ this. I _had_ to.

"So, um," I began awkwardly, staring down at my hands, where they were folded on my lap. "I-I need to know."

He stayed silent; I wondered if he was even looking at me. I bet he wasn't.

"M-Maybe I should start first," I muttered. "Um... How do I put this?"

I sneaked a peek at him; yep, he was staring out the window, looking everywhere but me. But I couldn't back out now.

"I-I finally figured it out," I said, looking straight ahead. "For sure, I mean. But before I say anything... I need to know." I turned to face him, and he finally looked at me. "D-Did you really mean it? Did you really mean to kiss me that night?"

Silence. He looked down, avoiding eye contact once again. A minute passed, and then another, as we rose higher into the air. He seemed to be wrestling with something. A dreadful feeling was settling down on me, making my stomach churn. Why the hell was he taking so long to answer?!

"...I wasn't feeling like myself," he said at last, still refusing to look at me. "Since Aryl spiked the drinks."

I had never felt so sick before in my life. So sick and stupid. Of course. Pyrite Kimu would never want to kiss me. We were just friends. I was so foolish to think of anything else. He would never go for a girl like me, especially after how I had treated him all those years. I felt so humiliated.

"O-Oh. I see..." My voice hitched as tears began to form in my eyes. "N-Never mind, then..."

Was this how Carmine felt when she was rejected?

I tried to take a deep breath and calm down, but it just wasn't working. I tried to tell myself that it wasn't the end of the world, and that there was a boy who liked me—Gio.

"Amber... What were you gonna say?"

I turned away, trying to hide my tearful eyes. "It doesn't matter anymore."

"Amber." There was a faint edge of desperation in his voice. "Look at me."

I reluctantly turned my head to look at him, wishing I could hide my emotions as well as he could. But then, abruptly, out of _nowhere_, he smashed his lips to mine, kissing me. I froze in shock.

He... was... _He was_...

I kissed him back, and it dawned on me that this was our first real kiss. The one in the Pokemon Tower didn't count because that was all me and I had scared him sh*tless. He was gentle, his hands resting on my shoulders. My heart was racing so fast I thought it would burst out of my chest.

He ended it, pulling back only a couple of inches, his eyes never leaving mine.

"I never said I didn't mean it," he told me.

I stared up at him, my eyes wide and my face flushed. "Y-You... But y-you...!"

He moved back all the way. "It was stupid of me. I'm sorry."

I just stared at him, trying not to freak out over what all of this meant.

"What were you going to tell me again?"

I snapped out of my daze. "I think I like you, you idiot!" I growled, punching him on the arm. "Why the hell do you think I just went through all of that?!"

He actually _laughed_, smiling. "Just trying to get my Amber back."

I huffed, trying to hide my embarrassment, even though I was blushing again and my heart gave a little squeeze. "I-Idiot."

He just laughed again, but his smile faded as his expression turned serious. "You're the one I like, Amber."

My heart skipped a beat and my breath caught.

Pyrite looked down. "...But we're only thirteen."

"S-So what?" I said, scooting closer to him.

He sighed. "What I'm trying to say is, we're really young. We have our whole lives ahead of us... It's too soon for something serious—especially with your dreams, Amber. So... now is not the time to be thinking about this kind of thing."

...As much as I hated it, he was right.

I sighed. "Okay, okay. I get you. But..." I looked up at him hopefully. "Could you do it again?"

He blinked me in confusion. "Do what?"

"Kiss me, dumba**!"

…

I took a nice long sip of my chocolate shake. "Mmmm... So good!"

Pyrite rolled his eyes from the seat he sat across from me. "You're so melodramatic."

I stuck out my tongue at him. "Shuddup. It makes life more exciting."

He couldn't fight back a smile as he shook his head. "You're something else, Amber."

"That's not a bad thing," I huffed.

He smiled playfully. "I never said it was."

"There you two are!"

I looked up to see Dodge and Gio approaching. For a moment, I almost panicked. Because I knew Gio had feelings for me, and I had just been through a confession with Pyrite. For a moment, I felt awful—but I quickly pushed those thoughts back. I wanted to be _happy_ right now. I would not make myself miserable.

"Dodge! Gio!" I hopped up from my seat. "Where have you been?!"

Dodge gave me a dry look. "I was showing Gio around after you two bolted."

Gio's silver eyes twinkled. "There's so much to do here! I wish we were here longer than just a few hours."

"Well, maybe we should come back someday," Pyrite suggested.

Gio's face lit up. "That would be great!"

I giggled. "We should invite everyone!"

Dodge froze, staring at me with wide eyes. "Did Ambs... just... _giggle_?"

I scowled. "What's wrong with that?!"

He looked at Pyrite. "What did you _do_?!"

...Sh*t.

Ry looked at him calmly, and with a completely straight face, said, "Nothing."

I lost it.

I keeled over laughing. I laughed so hard my sides hurt, and I nearly fell down. Dodge stared at me, and Gio's eyes were wide. I hadn't laughed like this in years, if ever.

"Amber..." Dodge said slowly. "Are you... okay?"

"I just..." I choked out through my laughter. "I can't... BAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Pyrite sighed. "Apparently she finds you amusing, Dodge."

"What did you do?!" he demanded. "Wait—never mind. I _don't_ want to know."

"I'm confused," Gio said, frowning. "What could Pyrite do?"

That just sent me into another laughing fit. Oh, Gio. He was so d*mn innocent. There was _so_ much Pyrite could have possibly done.

Dodge pinched the bridge of his nose. "Oh, Arceus. You don't want to know, Gio."

Pyrite sipped his slushie as if everything was perfectly normal and I wasn't losing my sh*t in a laughing fit. D*mmit, I was even rhyming!

I fell back into my seat, tears forming in my eyes from laughing so hard. It took me several more minutes to calm down. I ended up crying a little, so I wiped my eyes with my hand.

"Better?" Pyrite asked me.

"Yeah," I answered, with one last, light laugh.

"You, Amber Rosso-Senri, are an enigma," Dodge groaned. "Or maybe I just can't understand girls."

"It's probably the latter," Pyrite said, standing up. "Why don't we go find the others? It's about lunchtime."

As if on cue, my stomach growled loudly.

"I take that as a yes," Ry laughed.

"Shuddup," I grumbled, feeling my cheeks flush with embarrassment.

"Let's go," Dodge sighed.

So, I stood up, and we all headed off to find the others. It took us several minutes, but we managed to find everyone. Once we were all together, we made our way to the food court, chatting as we walked along.

The food court was packed since it was past noon when we got there. In the center, was a large fountain. I convinced Cory to go with me to snag a table near it while the others went to get our food. I gave Pyrite some money for my lunch, even though he said he didn't mind paying for me. Anyways, Cory and I sat down to wait for the others.

"Isn't the fountain so pretty?" I mused, looking at it. "I've never seen one so big before!"

"Yeah," my brother agreed with a smile. "I've heard rumors that there's a pokemon that lives in it."

My eyes widened. "Whoa, really?!"

He nodded. "Yup. I accidentally overheard some people talking about it. Apparently, it likes to sing to visitors."

I rested my arms on the table, looking at the peaceful fountain. It was kind of hard to believe... I mean, how could a pokemon live in a water fountain? How would it eat? It was probably just an urban legend.

But then... I saw something dark coming to the surface. Suddenly, that something burst through the surface of the water, splashing us with water. I yelped with surprise. There, raising its head and body up over the water, was a beautiful _milotic_.

"Oh my Arceus," I breathed, my eyes wide.

"It's... gorgeous," Cory gasped. "Almost as beautiful as Beauty..."

Beauty was our dad's milotic, who he used in contests when he participated back in the day. She was not only beautiful, but powerful. Now she spent her days in the lake in our backyard with Neptune—though they were both here with our parents at the moment.

Cory and I jumped out of our seats at the same time and shouted, "I wanna catch her!" (Well, he said "I want to catch her!" with his proper English and all.)

"No way!" I snapped, glaring at my twin. "You already have a water type pokemon! I don't!"

"So?!" he cried. "Milotic are perfect for contests!"

"Are you serious?!" I retorted with exasperation. "I think my need for a water type is greater than your need for contests!"

"Don't be so selfish!" my brother snapped.

"_I'm_ being selfish?! You're the one being f*cking selfish!"

The milotic looked back and forth between us, before finally raising its head, and letting loose a note. It began to sing, its voice clear and mystical, and our argument ceased. Cory and I stared at it in awe, and everyone else nearby stopped whatever they were doing to watch its performance. I had never heard a milotic sing before—not even Beauty. It was breathtaking.

"...What were we fighting about?" I asked, feeling dazed and confused.

"...Something stupid," Cory sighed.

...Oh yeah.

The milotic crooned, and leaned forward to nuzzle my cheek.

"Whoa!" I cried. "Ha! Take that, Cory! It likes _me_!"

He gave me a dry look. "Okay, you win. You can have-"

My brother cut himself off because suddenly, it got dark, and the milotic froze. Something told me to look up towards the sky, but I didn't want to. There was a sudden chill in the air.

"Guys-"

Suddenly, a metal claw shot down, clasping around the milotic's body. I watched in horror as it let out a startled cry, and was yanked out of the fountain. I forced myself to look up, and gasped when I saw the Team Plasma frigate.

"No!" I gasped. "D*mmit, they're back!"

"Oh my gosh!" I heard Quartz cry from behind us; the others had come back.

Cory pulled out his pokegear. "We need to—AAAAAH!"

A weak electric bolt shot down from the ship, zapping my brother's hand and forcing him to drop the pokegear. The device shattered as it hit the concrete ground.

"Cory are you okay?!" I demanded, bolting over to his side.

He winced, holding his hand. "I can't feel my fingers..."

"Guys—we need to get back," I heard Pyrite said, sounding worried. "Team Plasma—they're going to _do_ something!"

We turned around to face our friends. Everyone looked worried. The temperature was dropping, and now I could see everyone's breath puffing out.

Quartz shivered, hugging herself. "It's so... cold."

Cold... Did that mean... ice?

Either way, I grabbed my brother by the arm and pulled him with me to join the others.

"Look!" Gio suddenly gasped, pointing towards the ship.

I turned around to see what he was talking about. Massive guns had appeared, sticking out of the sides of the frigate. They appeared to be charging, which was why the temperature was probably dropping.

"They're repeating history!" Carmine exclaimed, horrified. "Back in Unova, three years after Team Plasma first tried to take over, Ghetsis brought Team Plasma back! And they used Kyurem to—Kyurem's powers to bomb Opelucid City with ice, freezing it! They're probably going to do that to Nimbasa now! And that means—a-and that means-"

"They have Kyurem," Snow said grimly.

The guns had finished charging.

"Get down!" Pyrite shouted.

Ice shot out of the guns, hitting the ground with such force that it shook. We were all knocked down, and I heard screams. The barrage lasted for several minutes. I knelt down, covering my head with my arms. All I knew was that it was f*cking cold.

Finally, there was silence. But nobody dared to move an inch.

"...Is everyone okay?" I heard Bronze ask.

I took that as the cue to sit up. Looking around, I saw that everyone was indeed okay. And that we were surrounded by ice.

"It looks like it," I replied as everyone else began to sit up. "But... this is bad. Really f*cking bad."

"I think _bad_ is an understatement," said Dodge.

"Oh my gosh," Quartz breathed, her eyes wide.

Aurum scowled. "Say, I think Team Plasma's asking for another beating."

Carmine's eyes widened. "Aurum, don't be crazy!"

"Our parents aren't here," Xenon said. "So who else is gonna defend the city?"

"As much as I dislike battling, I have to agree," sighed Mica.

"Then what are we f*cking waiting for?!" I demanded, hopping to my feet. "I'm ready to kick some Plasma a**! Especially after what happened last time!"

Pyrite grimaced. Everyone else stood up as well.

"All right, all right," Bronze said, raising his hands. "Everyone, calm down. We need to execute this calmly and rationally. No one—and I repeat, _no one_—is going out alone. I want everyone to pair up with someone. And if you get separated, join up with another pair. This situation is too dangerous to go it alone."

"Agreed," Snow said, resting a hand on her hip. "In that case, I'm with Carmine. Somebody's gotta keep that reckless Rosso nature in check."

Carmine glared at her friend. "I'm not reckless!" she huffed.

You could tell me that again.

"Well, I guess I'll go with Ry, then!" I exclaimed, latching onto his arm.

Pyrite started a little. "What?" Then he looked pained. "Wouldn't you rather be with... Cory or Dodge or Carne?"

"Nope!" I exclaimed cheerfully. "C'mon, you know we make a bada** team!"

I was very aware that Carmine was glaring daggers at me. Oh, for the love of Arceus. She needed to get over herself. Pyrite liked _me_.

He sighed. "Fine..."

"Yay!" I cheered, properly hugging him this time.

"Maybe we should have groups of three," Cory suggested, eying us warily like he knew something was up.

I always knew he had brother's intuition.

Bronze raised an eyebrow. "I don't see anything wrong with pairs. Anyways, hurry up and choose your partner. Once you're paired up, head off."

"Wait!" Quartz exclaimed. "How will we keep in contact?"

"I have a psychic pokemon," Mica told us. "That would be the safest way to stay in touch."

Bronze nodded. "All right, sounds good. Thanks, Mica. Now let's get moving!"

* * *

><p><em>(Arylide's POV)<em>

"What was that?!" Electra gasped.

Copal, Coral and I decided to go to the Nimbasa Gym to visit our old friend Electra Karan—Delano and Audra's daughter—from back when we were in Unova. Then, in the middle of nowhere, there was a freaking _earthquake_.

Today was also Copal's sixteenth birthday.

"No idea," I said with a grimace. "D*mn..."

Electra was sixteen, the same age as all of us. She was slightly taller than Coral, and built lean like a super model—and she was one. She had long, golden blonde hair, and brown eyes. She was pretty, but I had never thought of her as more than a friend. We were lucky to catch her without her boytoy around; they always had been very hands-on. It always freaked Copal out.

"You're not hurt, are you, Aryl?" Copal asked me, alarmed by the face I had made.

"Huh?" I blinked. "Nah, I'm fine. We should get outta here and see what the hell just happened."

"I hope it's nothing serious," Coral murmured.

We all got back up, and headed out of the Gym. And what we saw was far from what we had expected.

"What the hell?!" I demanded, my eyes wide.

What we could see of the amusement park... was covered in ice. Like what happened on the cruise ship, except a hell of a lot worse. Copal shivered, tightening her jacket up. It was cold, but nothing I couldn't handle. Coral and Electra looked fine as well. But Copal had always been sensitive to the cold. That reminded me...

"Happy birthday, Copal-chan!" I cheered, pulling out the gift I had made her.

She started, her blue eyes widening as I shoved a snow blue knitted scarf at her. "What?! Oh... This is really nice!"

I grinned. "Awesome! Glad you like it."

Copal checked out the scarf, flipping it, and saw her initials—C. R-S. Her eyes widened again. But then she looked up at me, eying me suspiciously.

"Did you... _make_ this, Aryl?" she asked, curious.

I tried not to panic. "What makes you say that, Copal-chan?"

"This is _way_ too nice to be bought at a store," she said. "You totally made this, didn't you?"

Electra put her hands on her hips. "I didn't know you could knit, Aryl."

"Neither did we," Coral deadpanned.

I let out a strained laugh. "Okay, okay, I made it... My mom taught me... and I actually like knitting, okay?! If you think it's weird, deal with it!"

Copal smiled, wrapping the scarf around her neck. "I think it's adorable!"

"Huh?" I blinked in shock. "You do?"

She laughed, stepping closer to me. "Of course I do! I think it's really cool that you can knit! You're just so good with your hands, Aryl."

Aha... Ahahahahaha...

Heh. I smirked. Then she realized what she said. Copal's face flushed bright red, and she looked away.

"I-I didn't meant it like that!"

Coral slapped her forehead while Electra raised an eyebrow.

Man, I loved that girl so freaking much.

"Aw, Copal-chan," I drawled, throwing my arm around her shoulders. "Mean it like what? My hands are _very_ versatile. I can cook, I can knit, I can massage, I can-"

"Can we _focus_?" Coral sighed, interrupting me.

Whups.

"Oh, right, sorry, Nimbasa's covered in ice." I sweatdropped. "Okay, so-"

"THERE YOU ARE! D*MMIT, WE'VE BEEN LOOKING ALL OVER FOR YOU!"

"Amber, calm _down_."

Well, what do you know? Copal's little sister and my dear little cousin had arrived. Amber looked really p*ssed—but then again, she usually was p*ssed off—and had Juno out. Pyrite seemed a little frustrated with his little girlfriend but still calm as ever. He had Ex out. They both headed up to us.

Copal looked at her sister. "Do you know what's going on?"

"Yeah, it's f*cking Team Plasma," Amber growled. "Again! They've covered the whole d*mn city in ice."

I pulled my arm away from my girlfriend. "If they've done that, that means they must have Kyurem."

"Yeah," Pyrite said bitterly. "We know."

Electra paled. "I... I have to go call my mom! She's away with Dad right now, but they're still in the region."

She turned around and rushed back into the Gym. Coral walked up to us. I crossed my arms over my chest.

"What should we do?" Copal asked, looking up at me. "We should fight, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Those b***tards can't get away with this! And I'm not saying this just 'cause I'm a Kuro."

"Bronze had us split up," Pyrite said. "He wanted us to work in pairs, but you're better together. We're going to stop Team Plasma as fast as we can."

"Understood," Coral said, nodding. "But... what is Team Plasma even up to? Why are they doing this? What do they want?"

"I wish we f*cking knew," Amber grumbled. "But does it really matter? All we need to do is kick their sorry a**es and send them home packing!"

"...She's right," I said. "Right now, we just need to protect Nimbasa and all the people and pokemon. I doubt we'll find anything out now, anyways. It's too soon. All we _can_ do is fight. So, let's fight!"

Amber grinned. "Hell yeah! That's what I'm talking about!"

Copal sighed, looking down. "What a wonderful birthday surprise..."

"Hey..." I looked over at her. "We'll celebrate tonight, okay? After this is all over. I _promise_, Copal-chan!"

She eyed me suspiciously. "As long as it's not something perverted... All right."

"Hey!" I exclaimed defensively. "I'm not _that_ bad, jeez!"

For the love of Arceus, we had _just_ gotten together. Copal was so paranoid sometimes. But I supposed that was warranted.

"Can we focus again?" Coral asked dryly.

"Whups." I smiled mareepishly. "Okay! Let's go! Ry, Ambs, you two stick together! Copal-chan, Coral, and I will go back into the city!"

"All right," Pyrite said with a nod. "Sounds like a plan. "Coral—please be careful."

She smiled down at him reassuringly. "Don't worry. I will. And I have Aryl and Copal with me. Everything is going to be okay."

He nodded silently, and turned to go. "Come on, Amber."

She nodded, too, turning to follow him, but looked back. "Be careful, okay?"

We watched them head off, nobody saying a word. We exchanged looks.

Copal sighed again, closing her eyes. "Let's do this."

* * *

><p><em>(Amber's POV)<em>

"Ceres, Sky Uppercut!"

"Ex, use Flamethrower!"

The breloom leaped upward and slammed her fist into the watchog's chin, sending the pokemon flying through the air. Flames shot out of the typhlosion's gaping jaws, grazing over the foe's herdier. Both pokemon went down.

"D*mmit!" the Team Plasma grunt cried. "You little punks! You may have beaten us, but you can't stop Team Plasma!"

Before either of us could say anything, the two Team Plasma grunts we had just defeated returned their fallen pokemon and took off into the icy tundra.

"F*cking d*mmit!" I growled. "The b**tards keep on running off! We just need to talk to them!"

Pyrite sighed. "There's got to be someone in charge of this attack. We should try to find them and talk to them instead. The grunts probably don't know anything anyway."

"True," I admitted with my own loud sigh. "D*mn, it's so f*cking cold." I shivered, wrapping my arms around myself.

"...You want my jacket?" he asked.

"I'm fine," I said mareepishly, my cheeks flushing. "But thanks."

"Let's keep moving, then," he said. "But where would we even find the guy in charge?"

"_I don't care where he is, as long as I get to kick his sorry a**!"_ Ceres exclaimed adamantly.

"I have no idea," I sighed, ignoring my breloom. "I guess all we can do is keep looking."

Pyrite sighed again. "I guess so. Let's go."

So we set off again, taking out any grunt we bumped into. I let Ceres get some experience, and then switched her out for Mars. I wanted to keep my team as balanced as possible, even though Juno was way above them all. Pyrite did the same thing. Not only were we kicking Team Plasma's sorry a**, but we were training our pokemon, making them stronger.

I shivered, returning Mars back to his poke ball. "D*mn, how many grunts have we taken on? Our pokemon can only handle so f*cking much..."

"I don't know," he muttered, sending Blitz back to his poke ball. "But you shouldn't risk healing anyone—we can't have you falling unconscious."

I scowled. "At least if I passed out, my pokemon could still fight!" I put Mars's poke ball back into my bag. "Go to the Pokemon Center if you want, but I'm gonna keep on going."

"Amber-"

Ignoring him, I pulled out my skateboard, hopped on it, and took off. Riding my skateboard made me even colder, but it was quicker than walking or running and I was getting f*cking impatient.

I found myself in the deepest part of Nimbasa—the Battle Subway. The entrance was frozen shut, and grunts were crawling all over. And there, right before the icy door, was a boy. His back was to me, so all I could see was that he was kinda short, and had neat black hair. A strange pink bird pokemon was perched on his shoulder.

I skidded to a halt, stopping several yards away from the boy, and all the grunts snapped to attention, drawing poke balls.

"Hey!" I barked. "You there—are you the b**tard in charge of this?!"

The kid slowly turned around, giving me a better look at him and the weird bird pokemon. His eyes were a pale shade of green, and they sat behind glasses. He was wearing a strange white robe with the symbol of Team Plasma on the right side of his chest. The pokemon was short and pink, with a strange white mask-like thing covering its beak. I had never seen anything like it before—what the hell was with all these freaky pokemon showing up lately?!

The boy laughed. "Not exactly. Let me guess. You want us to go away."

"What the hell do you think?!" I snapped, scowling. "You f*cking froze the whole d*mn city!"

He narrowed his eyes. "You're quite foul for a girl."

I rolled my eyes. "Wow, that's _never_ happened before!" I took out a poke ball. "Look you little sh*thead, I'm going to kick your sorry a** so hard you won't know what happened to you if you don't call off the freeze ray!"

He sighed, and looked at the bird pokemon on his shoulder. "Do you hear that, Spritzee? Trainers don't ever change. They use pokemon to push their agendas—they use _violence_. That's why humans and pokemon must be separate."

"What?!" I exclaimed. "That's a bunch of bullsh*t!"

The boy folded his arms. "My name is Merlin. I'm a member of the Council of Team Plasma—the youngest in fact. I am the only adviser who refuses to use pokemon in violent manners. It's a shame that force has to be used to make our motives clear, don't you think?"

I gritted my teeth. "It's true that battles are violent—but pokemon have fun while battling! And trainers get to know each other better! We're meant to be together! That's why the Resistance fought so hard against the Government! And that's why the Resistance won!"

Merlin chuckled. "You only say that because your parents were leaders of the Resistance—you've been brainwashed to believe that."

My eyes widened, and then they narrowed as I tightened my grip on the poke ball. "How the f*ck do you know who I am?"

"How can I not? You have such a recognizable appearance," he said. "It's obvious that you are Amber Rosso-Senri, the second daughter of Rubin Senri and Topaz Rosso-Senri."

F*ck... Team Plasma knew a lot about us, too! What the hell was going on?!

"It's a shame, isn't it Spritzee," Merlin sighed. "Well, I don't see any point in remaining here. We have met our objectives—freeze Nimbasa, liberate pokemon from their foolish trainers, and capture the legendary milotic of the fountain-"

"WHAT?!" I shrieked, remembering the milotic that Cory and I had argued over earlier.

Merlin laughed. "Don't bother trying to retaliate. We shall take our leave now. Until we meet again, Amber Rosso-Senri."

* * *

><p><strong>I'm so sorry for the wait, and I'm so sorry for the abrupt ending. I just wanted to get this chapter over with...<strong>

**Anyways, A FREAKING LOT HAPPENED**

**But the main events were definitely the North-South confession and Team Plasma's attack**

**You've also met Merlin, a leader of the Council of Team Plasma... You'll find out more later. His partner is Spritzee, one of the new Gen VI Pokemon, a Fairy-type.**

**You'll be seeing the Milotic again~**

**IT WAS ALSO COPAL'S BIRTHDAY**

**Too bad I missed updating on the actual day... Oh well**

**Again, sorry for the lame chapter... Please review!**


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